Fortnite delays Season 3 in wake of Black Lives Matter protests
Epic are giving their team time "to focus on themselves, their families, and their communities"
Epic Games have postponed Fortnite's end of season live event and Season 3 start date, due to the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests against racism and police brutality. The live event, The Device, will now take place on June 15th, with the Season 3 start date pushed back to June 17th.
"The team is eager to move Fortnite forward, but we need to balance the Season 3 launch with time for the team to focus on themselves, their families, and their communities," Epic said.
Fortnite isn't the only game to make delays in the midst of the recent Black Lives Matter movement. Call Of Duty: Warzone has delayed its fourth season because "now is not the time", and EA have delayed the announcement of Madden NFL 21, too.
"Recent events are a heavy reminder of ongoing injustices in society, from the denial of basic human rights to the impact of racism both overt and subtle against people of color," says Epic. "We're acutely aware of the pain our friends, families, team members, players, and communities are experiencing."
"We believe in equality and justice, diversity and inclusion, and that these fundamentals are above politics."
While Epic don't mention exactly what these "recent events" are, they're undoubtedly talking about the murder of George Floyd - a black man who was killed by police officers, sparking protests across the the US and the rest of the world to demand justice. Derek Chauvin, the officer that killed him, has now been charged with second-degree murder, and the three officers that watched it happen have been charged with aiding and abetting murder.