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Blocking Confrontational Emotes in Fortnite
For gamers who have grown weary of unwanted confrontations during online play, the realm of emotes has been a welcome means of non-verbal communication within the digital landscape. However, in the popular game Fortnite, certain emotes have become synonymous with hostility, prompting developer Epic Games to introduce a new in-game setting that allows players to block these contentious animations.
The New Setting
Unveiled on Tuesday, the “See Confrontational Emotes” feature enables players to filter out four specific emotes that are often employed in an aggressive manner. By default, these emotes will only be displayed when used by friends in an online party. Nevertheless, players have the option to adjust this setting to either always allow or consistently block these potentially provocative gestures.
Concerns and Controversies
Emotes such as “Laugh it Up” and “Take the L” have previously sparked debates among gaming communities, with some players finding them aggravating, especially when employed by rival players following digital defeats. Notably, the “Take the L” emote has transcended the gaming realm, making its way into professional sports celebrations as a form of taunting.
Similarly, the emotes “Whipcrack” and “Make it Plantain” have garnered negative attention due to their association with offensive online content, including racist memes that have circulated on social media platforms.
Refund Debate
While Epic Games has offered refunds in the past for removed emotes, the “Confrontational Emotes” setting does not entail a complete removal of the contentious gestures. This decision has sparked conversations within the Fortnite community, with some players advocating for refunds for emotes that were initially marketed to provoke other players.
Disney’s Investment and Legal Challenges
The introduction of the new emote settings coincides with Disney’s substantial investment of $1.5 billion in Epic Games, aimed at creating an expansive “games and entertainment universe” within Fortnite. While there is no direct correlation between Disney’s involvement and the emote update, some players have raised questions about the timing.
Notably, Fortnite has faced legal disputes in the past over copyright issues related to emote dance moves inspired by real-world performances. Additionally, sales of a Travis Scott emote were temporarily halted following a tragic incident at one of his concerts in 2021.
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