Fortnite‘s next big crossover won’t be with comic books or cinema but its own native medium.
Following the release of this week’s patch, a new portal – anomalous tears in reality from which characters in various franchises have emerged – has sprung open on Apollo Island and fighting game fans, in particular, have spotted something immediately recognizable on the other side. Taking a peek inside the gateway reveals what appears to be an oriental castle set against the backdrop of a hazy red/orange sky. While the attractive vista may look relatively unremarkable to the untrained eye, players of Capcom’s genre-defining Street Fighter series have been quick to point out that the scenery is identical to that of a stage from Street Fighter II – Suzaku Castle.
And as if that wasn’t already evidence enough that some of Earth’s greatest martial artists will soon be showing up, prolific data miner ShiinaBR has done a little digging in Fortnite‘s encrypted files and yielded additional proof in the process. Audio for the so-called Skirmish Portal is a perfect match with that of main character Ryu’s theme and you can check out the sample for yourself below.
Skirmish Portal Audio! https://t.co/Q4V3MRBgFy
— Shiina (@ShiinaBR) February 19, 2021
— FNJPNews(日本向け情報アカウント)🇯🇵 (@FortniteJPNews) February 19, 2021
A safe bet that the worlds of Street Fighter and Fortnite are due to collide shortly, then, though the question of who still goes unanswered. What is known, however, is that two individuals are expected to cross over, one male, one female. That being the case, one can only naturally assume that Ryu and Chun-Li, as the undisputed mascots of Capcom’s IP, are the chosen ones, so to speak.
We could be dead wrong, of course, but there shouldn’t be too much of a wait to find out the truth. Expect Epic to officially reveal who’s on their way over the next few days.
