Former Epic Games Chief Creative Officer revealed the reason Samus never appeared in Fortnite.
Epic Games and Fortnite are no stranger to collaborations. In fact, crossovers have become a frequent occurrence, featuring everything from Eminem to God of War. However, one collaboration that got away would have seen the famous Metroid character "Samus" enter the world of Fortnite. This partnership would have occurred many years ago, but it never happened, and former Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard has revealed the reason.
Explaining the lore behind Samus in Fortnite
Fortnite laid a foundation for an eventual crossover with Nintendo's Samus character in Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 5. This season featured various collaborations, such as The Walking Dead, Terminator, and Alien. Characters from these intellectual properties emerged from their respective dimensions through Fortnite's Zero Point. Samus was in the works to be one of these "Hunters." A nod to Samus even exists in the Fortnite Batman: Zero Point comic.
However, this teaser came and went without any payoff, as Samus never emerged through the Zero Point. Furthermore, Epic Games nor Nintendo ever addressed the situation publicly, leaving fans in the dark. Just when it seemed there would never be an answer, former Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard has come forward.
Why didn't this collaboration happen?
Theories around this time indicated that Nintendo shut down the idea due to Epic Games' desire to make Samus playable regardless of the platform. Sure enough, that theory rang true.
In an interview conducted by Stephen Totilo of Gamefile, Mustard confirmed that Nintendo declined Epic Games' offer to feature Samus Aran in the game. He explained that Nintendo only wanted the Samus skin to be visible on the Nintendo Switch platform. Epic Games disagreed with this approach, and Samus in Fortnite never happened.
This reasoning explains why Fortnite and Nintendo have yet to collaborate on a single crossover despite the popular game doing hundreds of them over the years. Unfortunately, it likely means a partnership won't happen anytime soon unless Nintendo budges from its platform-exclusive demands.
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