Stranger Things is turning the Fortnite: Battle Royale map upside down

By Charles Singletary Jr. July 3, 2019

Epic Games completed a story arc with its last major collaboration in Fortnite, teaming up with Marvel to celebrate Avengers: Endgame. It seems that Epic has now set its sights on bringing yet another popular world to Fortnite — Netflix’s Stranger Things. While there’s no official word from either Netflix or Epic Games of these happenings, players have discovered portals that resemble those from Stranger Things in the game.

Stranger Things, a Netflix original sci-fi horror series, is scheduled to get its third season over the Fourth of July holiday. In the show’s first season, the heroes of the show face off against a creature called the Demogorgon who comes from a place the character’s dubbed the Upside Down. This word is a dark parallel of the real one and one of the main characters gets trapped there. To travel to the Upside Down, the characters use a portal that is, as The Verge reports, the very same portals that are now appearing around the map in Fortnite: Battle Royale

ǝɯᴉʇ ʇsoɯlɐ sᴉ ʇᴉ

— Netflix US (@netflix) July 2, 2019

In their current form, walking through the portals in Fortnite: Battle Royale makes the world turn dark, and the player is then transported to another part of the map. It seems to us that this might be a cool way to tease an upcoming Fortnite and Stranger Things collaboration, and if we know Fortnite — and we surely do — is only a sign of bigger things to come.

This collaboration will likely follow the same pattern as previous Fortnite collaborations, meaning players will be treated to Stranger Things-themed character skins, back bling, weapons, and more. The appearance of the portals to the Upside Down likely means a special event or two are in the works as well.

Fortnite x Stranger Things crossover at the Mega Mall — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If the portals are teasing a special mechanic, they could signal a journey into a special area for a longer period of time than the current short tease. Imagine key Fornite areas but overgrown with dark, pulsing flora. It could also mean creatures coming from the other side. Or both. We’ll surely find out soon as the full reveal is likely to coincide with the release of the third season of Stranger Things this week.

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Charles Singletary Jr.

I'm a Birmingham, AL raised author, journalist, and gaming enthusiast currently residing in San Antonio, TX. My work has…

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