Fortnite will soon offer a new experience called March Through Time, which celebrates the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights movement.
Announced this morning on the PlayStation blog, the experience was developed in collaboration with Time Studios and the Fortnite Creative Community. The “immersive journey” will allow players to explore a 1963-era Washington, D.C., as they complete educational quests, walk around the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall, and watch all of MLK’s I Have a Dream speech in the process. The experience is free and available to Fortnite players on all platforms.
The experience celebrates the 58th anniversary of the March on Washington and the I Have a Dream speech. Besides watching MLK speak, players will be able to visit an in-game museum that features Civil Rights-era photography from the March. While March Through Time includes points of interests and quests like traditional games, the PlayStation blog stresses that these quests are educational and “should bring an in important reminder that relates to Dr. King’s speech: We move forward when we work together.” Completing the quests and challenges in the experience grants a fireworks show and a D.C. 63 spray for players’ lockers.
While Fortnite is best known for its battle royale mode, the game has been branching out into a variety of events in the last few years, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Musicians like Ariana Grande and Travis Scott have held virtual concerts in the Fortnite Metaverse, a platform that aims to bring varied experiences to players.
With March Through Time, developer Epic Games appears to be taking a page from the Minecraft playbook when it comes to educational possibilities. As the pandemic continues, it seems as though similar virtual experiences will be increasingly viable ways to connect and discuss significant moments from afar.
