Fortnite is one of the better battle royale games to hit the market, with a tendency to create and inspire memes that keep the game socially relevant.
The Fortnite meme factory has created another classic, the Fortnite battle pass song. The impromptu freestyle was first posted on TikTok in early February 2022 in an “Us or PS5” video where another user would fill in the beat with their lyrics. The catchy and succinct song revolves around playing Fortnite and the grind for the battle pass. While supposedly unscripted, the song quickly went viral, with many users applying the song in various skits.
Since the game’s launch into the battle royale market, Fortnite has become an ecosystem of memes. This meme-ability could be attributed to anything from Fortnite‘s cartoony gameplay and emotes to the pop culture references and comic appearances like Spider-Man’s web-shooters coming to Fortnite to even the in-game events that coincide with movie previews. Fortnite, for the most part, is either involved in making the next meme or trying to integrate the most popular one.
The Fortnite battle pass song, posted on TikTok but re-uploaded on YouTube by creator Abdul Cisse, is another example of how strong Fortnite‘s social impact is. The video was not only shared by some of the most popular TikTokers but would be dubbed over various clips of different shows, movies, and memes by other users on other media-sharing platforms. As a result, the video would garner over 13 million views on TikTok in just a few weeks and over 300 thousand views on YouTube.
The battle pass song is one of Fortnite‘s best examples of its circular ecosystem of memes that could contribute anything from the game’s marketplace of emotes and skins to which character is next to crossover to Fortnite. The system would begin with a fan, like Cisse, making a viral video or post about an element of Fortnite that grows in popularity. While there are users who would watch the video and move on, a good chunk of users would, at the least, either spread the video in some capacity or potentially check out Fortnite for themselves. As a result, Fortnite benefits from the increased exposure of the viral video and an increased player count.
There are past examples of this system at work; the 2018 “Chug Jug With You” parody song, which details a game of Fortnite, would reach similar acclaim as the battle pass song and increase the game’s publicity. A frightening 3D render of a human which appeared on the internet in 2017 would go on to become a Fortnite April Fools skin in a 2021 bundle costing about 1,200 of the in-game currency of V-Bucks, which equals $12.
The Fortnite battle pass song is not the only meme to reach classic status, and it defiantly won’t be the last. Considering Fortnite‘s record in using memes, old and new, to fuel its marketplace, it would be no surprise if the battle pass song appeared in the game. With the new season of Fortnite bringing significant changes, Fortnite shows no signs of slowing down and continues to make waves in the battle royale market while staying culturally relevant through a vocal and creative fan base.
Source: Abdul Cisse/YouTube
Joseph can’t remember a time when he wasn’t either writing, discussing, or playing video games. A freelance video editor and content creator with a degree in Film, TV, and Media Studies, Joseph is always looking for ways to improve himself. When he is not logging what he thinks are endless hours into the latest video game, he’s watching the newest TV show or movie. Presently, Joseph is a freelance gaming features writer for Screen Rant and a general contributor to other gaming-related websites. Catch him on Twitter and Instagram @Xenpixel and send him your funniest video game meme.
