Fortnite has been making waves by continuously adding global celebrities to its expanding metaverse. Now, one of the most renowned living athletes in the world, Lionel Messi, has become a part of this exciting realm. His upcoming inclusion as an Icon skin has generated a lot of buzz, and details about his styles and add-ons have been leaked through datamining. Let's take a closer look at what these look like in different formats. Fortnite's Celebrity Skins: Messi Joins the Party
Details of Messi's Icon Skin
Some of Messi's "stylized" alternates feature a pair of very muscular literal lions, which perfectly match his common nickname. It's interesting to note that he isn't wearing any jerseys from his teams, as that would involve a separate rights deal. Currently, we don't have a specific date or price point for these skins, but the fact that they've been added to the API indicates that they will be available relatively soon. Although they don't exactly align with Fortnite's Japanese theme for Chapter 6, season 1, it's understandable that not everything will fit perfectly.Messi will be joining a growing list of athletes who have made their mark in Fortnite. While he is undoubtedly one of the most high-profile globally, in the US, LeBron James might take that title. The current list includes Neymar Jr., LeBron James, Naomi Osaka, Patrick Mahomes, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chloe Kim, Harry Kane, Marco Reus, and John Cena.
Potential for Cristiano Ronaldo's Skin
Given Messi's addition, it's likely that another soccer star, Cristiano Ronaldo, could be the next to join Fortnite. Ronaldo has been actively involved in online activities like collaborating with Mr. Beast and creating YouTube videos with a massive 71 million subscribers. It wouldn't be surprising if a Fortnite skin based on him is in the works, and Epic Games would surely welcome it.The exact nature of Epic's deals with real-life figures, including the price point for their likeness and the profit they earn from individual skin sales, remains unclear. For Messi, it's safe to assume that securing his rights was quite an expensive endeavor.Messi's skin is expected to be popular, and it would be fascinating to have actual data on which real-life celebrities, athletes, or others have attracted the most purchases. However, Epic Games is unlikely to reveal such information. Is Ninja more popular than Ariana Grande? Or is John Cena more popular than Keanu John Wick? These are questions that may never be answered.We'll have to wait and see when Messi's skin goes on sale, but it's certain that it will be available soon. After that, it might be some time before another athlete is added, but it's clear that this concept has been growing rapidly in the last few years.Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky, and Instagram.Pick up my sci-fi novels, the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
