Fortnite might be getting a month-long Simpsons collaboration in November. Leakers have been dropping hints for weeks, and now we’ve got what appears to be official key art showing Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Ned Flanders tearing through a Springfield-themed map. The usual reliable sources are backing this up, though Epic Games hasn’t confirmed anything yet.
Being someone who has watched Simpsons for years now, I want to be excited about this. The Simpsons and Fortnite seem like a perfect match on paper. Both are cultural juggernauts that have been around long enough to mean different things to different generations. A Springfield map makeover with iconic locations could be genuinely fun. The skin possibilities alone are endless. Who wouldn’t want to play as Moe or Chief Wiggum or literally any of the hundreds of memorable characters from the show’s 35-plus seasons?
But here’s what’s bothering me about this leak and the conversation around it. People are already talking about this like it’s the Simpsons game they’ve been waiting for. One person in the original article mentions hoping it scratches that Hit and Run itch. That 2003 game was an actual Simpsons experience built from the ground up. This is a cosmetic overlay on Fortnite’s battle royale gameplay.
Let me be clear about what this collaboration actually is. You’ll be able to buy Simpsons character skins. The map will have Springfield-themed points of interest. Maybe there will be some Simpsons-specific items or vehicles. You’ll still be playing Fortnite. The core gameplay loop of dropping onto an island, gathering weapons, and eliminating other players until one remains doesn’t change just because Homer Simpson is doing it instead of your usual character.
This isn’t unique to the Simpsons collaboration. Fortnite has done this dozens of times. Marvel, Star Wars, Dragon Ball, anime franchises, musicians, athletes. Every time, there’s this moment where people treat it like the definitive game experience for that property. And every time, it’s just Fortnite offering bland cosmetic additions to the game.
Don’t get me wrong. These collaborations are impressive from a business and licensing perspective. Epic Games has become incredibly good at bringing disparate franchises into their ecosystem. The execution is usually solid. The skins look good. The themed locations are detailed. They clearly put effort into making these collaborations feel authentic. But there’s a difference between a collaboration and a proper licensed game. When you played Simpsons Hit and Run, everything about that game was designed around the Simpsons universe. The missions made sense for those characters. The dialogue was written for them. The gameplay mechanics supported the kind of chaos and humor the show is known for. It was a Simpsons game that happened to borrow heavily from Grand Theft Auto’s formula.
A Fortnite collaboration is the opposite. It’s Fortnite that happens to have Simpsons stuff in it. Homer Simpson won’t sound like Homer when you’re playing. There won’t be Simpsons-specific mission structures or storylines that feel true to the show. You’re just going to be building walls and shooting people while wearing a Homer skin.
The monetization angle here is also worth examining. The article mentions being worried about how much money they’ll spend on Simpsons skins and cosmetics, then hopefully mentions potential savings via a Battle Pass. This is exactly the model Epic wants you in. Make people excited about a collaboration, offer multiple characters and items at various price points, and watch the spending add up. I’m not saying people shouldn’t buy these skins if they want them. If you love the Simpsons and you play Fortnite regularly, this collaboration is probably going to make you happy. But we should be honest about what we’re getting. You’re paying for the ability to look like Simpsons characters in Fortnite. You’re not getting a Simpsons game.
So, enjoy it if you want. Buy the skins if they make you happy. But don’t mistake it for something it’s not. And maybe, just maybe, ask yourself why we’ve accepted this as the default way licensed gaming works now.
