No, Fortnite Tokens are not an official Fortnite cryptocurrency.
Whether you like it or not – and judging by previous reactions to announcements from various studios, most of you do not – games that include NFTs and cryptocurrency exist, and there will be more to come. These elements will likely be incorporated into existing games too, something that may prove to be an even more unpopular move. That being said, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney wants to make it clear Fortnite has no links to crypto, NFTs, or the blockchain.
Sweeney highlighted this on Twitter (via Eurogamer) in reaction to a cryptocurrency named after Epic’s biggest hit being incorrectly associated with Fortnite. The cryptocurrency in question is called the Fortnite Token, and even though it was created back at the tail end of 2021, it has only just caught the attention of Epic and its boss.
“There isn’t a Fortnite cryptocurrency. The Twitter accounts promoting such a thing are a scam. Epic’s lawyers are on it,” Sweeney explained on Twitter. “Shame on the cryptocurrency marketplaces that enable this kind of thing.” That acknowledgement of Fortnite Token’s existence has actually sparked a conversation between Sweeney and its creators, with the latter attempting to claim they haven’t done anything wrong.
There isn't a Fortnite cryptocurrency. The Twitter accounts promoting such a thing are a scam. Epic's lawyers are on it. Also, shame on the cryptocurrency marketplaces that enable this kind of thing.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 6, 2022
“This is a fair-launch, community-driven, Fortnite game fans-created cryptocurrency project with no specified owner or company structure behind it or a CEO deciding on its future,” Fortnite Token’s creators tweeted in response to Sweeney. However, Sweeney highlighted that isn’t how copyright law works, and it’s assumed Epic’s legal team is currently hard at work trying to make sure the Fortnite Token becomes a thing of the past.
Despite Sweeney’s reaction to people assuming Fortnite has waded into the cryptocurrency, Epic’s stance on blockchain gaming certainly isn’t firmly opposed. Quite the opposite, in fact. An NFT-based game called Grit was announced by developer Gala Games this week, a title on which Gala partnered with Epic. Epic is clearly on board with NFT and blockchain games having a place in the industry, but thankfully Sweeney appears to have drawn the line at incorporating those elements into Fortnite.