Fortnite, one of the world’s most popular games, reportedly removed police cars in its latest season update. The move comes after nationwide protests against police brutality and an ongoing call for reform in law enforcement.
Fortnite Season 3 brought a flood to the popular gameplay, but players also noticed the change. Prior to the season update, the map was littered with vehicles, from ice cream trucks to police cars. There are still vehicles present, but players can’t find police cars anywhere on the map, Kotaku reports.
Players have taken to Twitter and Reddit to share their thoughts on the absence of police cars. Many are questioning if there is a link between their absence and the ongoing protests, or if it’s just an update-related glitch.
Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, releases new seasons to change up gameplay regularly. The latest season was released last week, after an initial delay due to the protests against racism and police brutality.
Epic Games addressed the delay in a blog post on June 3: “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.
“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 Games stated.
Epic Games has yet to release an official statement on police cars’ absence.
Fortnite Police Cars — Sources
CNN: Fortnite reportedly removes police cars in new season
Kotaku: Players wonder Where Fortnite’s Cop Cars Went