Longtime Fortnite Developer Reveals Why Nintendo Wouldn't Let Samus Join the Party
Former Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard has explained why Fortnite was never able to add a Nintendo representative like Samus Aran as a playable character.
Fortnite has raged on as one of the biggest crossover titles in pop culture for nearly seven years, and that’s thanks to the long list of characters from across movies, TV, and games that it features. With PlayStation and Xbox mascots like Kratos and Master Chief already available as playable characters, many fans expected to one day see a Nintendo character join the fray. When documents revealed that Epic had once considered the possibility of including someone like Samus, excitement grew even more.
However, Mustard said the chances the sci-fi bounty hunter appears in Fortnite are currently pretty slim. He opened up about some behind-the-scenes talks at Epic during an interview with Stephen Totilo’s Game File, saying Nintendo wasn’t interested in seeing its characters appear on other consoles.
“They would be thrilled to have Nintendo characters in Fortnite, but just only if it’s on their platform.
“They got really hung up on their characters showing up on platforms that weren’t their platforms,” Mustard explained.
Fornite is available on nearly every game-playing device players can get their hands on. Were Mario to appear in Fortnite on Switch, he would need to also appear on PlayStation, Xbox, and even mobile platforms, too.
“They would be thrilled to have Nintendo characters in Fortnite, but just only if it’s on their platform,” he continued.
Epic could theoretically release Samus as a Nintendo Switch-exclusive character, but Mustard said the company isn’t interested in walling off content from other players.
“For me and for all of Epic, we’re like, ‘That is an absolute must. We want to make sure that Fortnite is the same experience, no matter what screen or device you’re playing on,'” he said.
Nintendo’s strategy has been seen in previous crossovers before. Rocket League, a game that is also available on a wide variety of platforms, received Mario, Luigi, and even Metroid-themed vehicles in 2017. However, those cars are Switch exclusive, meaning those who play on different consoles cannot access the content. Epic would go on to buy Rocket League developer Psyonix in 2019.
Nintendo could always change course when it comes to allowing its beloved cast of characters to appear on other consoles. For now, though, don’t expect to see Bowser winning any battle royale matches. For more on Fortnite, be sure to check out some of its newest content, which saw Epic include familiar faces from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Image credit: Photo by Euan Cherry/Getty Images for University of St Andrews
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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