Fortnite‘s Party Royale, a new mode in the massively popular battle royale shooter that showcases various forms of live entertainment, hosted We The People, a series of conversations on racism, on July 4.
We The People was presented by marketing collective Opus United, and was described by Epic Games in its announcement of the event as “a series of conversations that advance the dialogue around race in America with prominent BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) voices in business, sports, media, music, and entertainment.”
Leading the conversations was CNN’s Van Jones, who was joined by rapper and songwriter Killer Mike, former Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue Elaine Welteroth, The Atlantic writer Jemele Hill, and hip-hop musician Lil Baby. The event aired at 8:46 am CDT on Independence Day, referencing the 8 minutes and 46 seconds that George Floyd’s neck was pinned to the ground by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s knee, resulting in his tragic death that has sparked social unrest across the United States.
We The People re-aired every other hour for 24 hours throughout July 4. Fortunately for those who were not able to catch it, many players recorded and uploaded the event.
Fortnite‘s Party Royale
Fortnite, which finally left Early Access three years after it launched in 2017, launched Party Royale in May with a show headlined by Dillon Francis, Steve Aoki, and deadmau5, performing back-to-back sets.
Party Royale introduces a new island in Fortnite filled with unique activities such as time trials and soccer matches. The mode also screened three full-length Christopher Nolan movies in June — Inception, Batman Begins, and The Prestige — after the trailer for the filmmaker’s latest movie, Tenet, premiered in the game in May.
