Fortnites newest in-game emote is a collaborative one. Impressive Games this evening announced the launch of “The Renegade,” the viral TikTok dance developed by Atlanta teenager Jalaiah Harmon.
A number of claims were filed against Epic over claims the business infringed on some variety of either similarity or copyright by utilizing the dances without permission, and some remain continuous. Regardless, in this case, it appears Epic is freely citing the developer of the dance its most recent emote emulates, and it would be quite strange to do so without having first teamed up with Harmon to get it in the video game.
Its unclear whether Epic and Harmon struck some type of licensing deal, however its a possibility thinking about the designers rocky legal history with dance emotes. Throughout Fortnites meteoric increase starting in the fall of 2017, the game has featured a number of real-world dances copied from popular culture. In some cases the emotes were inspired by dances on old tv shows, like the default dance influenced by Scrubs star Donald Faison. However rather often these dances were invented by black developers and later on went viral on social media.
Rather often these dances were created by black creators and later went viral on social media.
The inclusion of the Renegade emote is likewise a nice gesture for Harmon, who largely went unrecognized for her dance even as it became one of the most popular moves on TikTok and other social platforms earlier this year. Just after posts by publications like The New York Times and Vox did Harmon get the proper credit for her enormously influential contribution to popular culture. And now Harmon will be permanently commemorated in the world of Fortnite.
It appears Epic is no longer interested in taking existing dances and turning them into emotes without credit, as was its technique in the past for some popular dances. The company held a TikTok dance contest previously this year with transparent licensing terms and has actually been turning popular banner dance moves into emotes with the consent and partnership of the developers themselves. Popular banner Tyler “Ninja” Blevins got his own skin, emote, and other in-game products as part of a deal with Epic back in January.
It appears Epic is no longer interested in taking existing dances and turning them into emotes without credit, as was its method in the past for some popular dances. The addition of the Renegade emote is also a good gesture for Harmon, who mostly went unrecognized for her dance even as it became one of the most popular relocations on TikTok and other social platforms earlier this year.
