This week, Fortnite players had their first chance to see something never before seen in the game: nipples. Specifically, Homer Simpson’s nipples. And massive ones too.
Yes, the upcoming Fortnite model will feature a giant version of Homer wearing only his panties and everything else (including his nipples) on display. Why is this such a massive deal for the Fortnite faithful? Well, because the game previously refused to present any setting.
Although it has never been publicly stated, Fortnite developer Epic Games has apparently mandated that the Battle Royale game be nippleless. The apparent rule came first discussed among fans back in 2019, when Travis Scott’s high-profile in-game concert (and his in-game skin, which can be purchased) showed the rapper with a sleek, nipple-free chest.
Since then, many original Fortnite characters and a whole parade of other notable characters have appeared in the game shirtless, but also without nipples. The non-exhaustive list includes Kratos from God of War, Avatar: The Last Airbender from Aang, John Cena from WWE, Goku from Dragonball Z, and Marvel superheroes such as Drax and The Hulk.
IGN frequently asked Epic Games if it would like to comment on Fortnite’s lack of nipples, but never received an official, on-the-record response.
Interestingly, we’ve noticed that Fortnite’s no-nipple decree extends to third-party Fortnite modes as well. Earlier this year, Philips introduced its Body Royale promotional mode to showcase its latest OneBlade shaver. On the Philips website, photos of the product show its employ on all types of body hair by male models who definitely have nipples in real life.
But in Fortnite’s Body Royale, the action takes place against the backdrop of an in-game model who is conspicuously nippleless. Did Philips have to remove the nipples at Epic Games’ request to achieve this in-game experience? (Philips also did not respond to IGN’s requests for comment.)
Looks like Homer Simpson is going to change all that. But why? Is there something in Homer’s design that allows his nipples – nothing more than a pair of black dots – to be on his animated body? This seems unlikely – other cel-shaded characters still had no nipples.
Does The Simpsons have its own set of branding rules that require nipples and override Epic Games’ rules? Or maybe there’s something special here in the fact that the appearance of a nearly naked Homer in the game must match the same design shown in The Simpsons companion Disney+ Fortnite crossover shorts.
Alternatively, fans say, this could all point to a broader policy change at Epic Games. As Fortnite enters the recent era of Chapter Seven and collaborates with Quentin Tarantino, it may be time to relax this particular restriction. After the nipples, what next? If Epic Games ever confirms this, we’ll let you know.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s news editor. You can contact Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
