A vocal group of Fortnite players are calling for a boycott of Epic's battle royale game after a skin of Obsession’s Nikki Freeman, played by Inde Navarrette, sparked backlash among fans.
On October 20, Epic Games revealed that Nikki Freeman is coming to Fortnite in a special collaborative video with the character’s actress, Inde Navarrette. And while there’s no denying Obsession’s popularity — Nikki was one of the most-searched Halloween costumes on Google this year, after all — her inclusion as a purchasable skin in a video game is rubbing some fans the wrong way.
Warning: Major spoilers for Obsession below!
This uncomfortable reaction is in direct response to Nikki being the victim of Bear’s wish in Obsession. In the movie, Nikki’s body is overtaken by a malicious entity while the real Nikki is locked away in her own mind, unable to do anything but watch as the entity possessing her commits atrocities while wearing her skin.
Be careful what you wish for… Nikki is coming to Fortnite tomorrow https://t.co/iSY6eseqVX
She is also taken advantage of by Bear, who engages in intimacy with Nikki’s physical form without getting the consent of the real Nikki. (Bear becomes aware of this fact in the film, but decides against trying to save her, asking, ‘What’s so bad about being with me?’ to which Nikki replies, ‘I’ve never been with you, Bear.’)
Needless to say, making Nikki — who is a victim of rape — a playable character in a video game isn’t exactly being met with positivity from some folks in Fortnite’s playerbase. That’s not including her special emote, which sees her hold up Wiley E. Coyote-style signs reenacting the famous dinner scene where she flips out on Bear, or the skin’s recreation of her iconic frown.
“Wanting your rape victim character in a game as a fun element (ironically Nikki suffers from has no control on her body and mind in movie) is a f**king choice,” one user wrote on Twitter/X. “Also, f**k Fortnite too for this choice.”
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.ign.com/articles/fortnites-nikki-skin-sparks-debate-among-horror-fans-with-some-calling-for-a-boycott
