Earlier this week, Epic revealed its latest cross-marketing campaign, which brings Tesla’s Cybertruck—a vehicle that’s earned four NHTSA recalls in seven months and has been called a “guideless missile” by safety experts—to Fortnite. The announcement earned a rare sense of unity from Fortnite players, though perhaps not the one Tesla might’ve hoped for.
On X, users reacted to the crossover by declaring open season on Fortnite Cybertruck drivers, with players making a general commitment to focus fire on the detestable polygon as soon as they see it—all other targets be damned.
It’s not just Fortnite players expressing Cybertruck discontent. Some of Fortnite’s own developers have shared their frustration with seeing Tesla’s infamous truck/icon of excess in the game. Making sure to clarify that their opinions are their own, Fortnite producers Robby Williams and Kyle Wynn made their Cybertruck stances clear: “Destroy on sight.”
Does prioritizing Cybertruck users count as cyberbullying? It might. But when a car’s earned a reputation for being a three-ton mass of mechanical failures and public safety hazards with a 70-grand price tag, I can’t help but feel that some amount of backlash is inevitable if you put it in your videogame.
Amidst the general lust for Cybertruck destruction, X users have been sharing other observations about the crossover, taking time to wonder how Elon Musk might feel about his very special truck being driven by Fishstick—a Fortnite character who’s been hinted as being in a relationship with fellow Fortnite skin Doggo, in what historians might call a “very close friendship.” Others, unfortunately, have taken Fishstick implied Cybertruck endorsement as a bitter betrayal.
Elsewhere, on Reddit, users have theorized that driving the Cybertruck in Fortnite doesn’t just put you inside a big, goofy shape—it might put you at a competitive disadvantage, with its massive windshield offering less protection than Fortnite’s other vehicles.
the cybertruck isn’t just an ugly car – it’s actually a straight downgrade to the normal car! let me elaborate a bit. from r/FortNiteBR
We’ll have to wait and see whether Cybertrucks will actually earn more in-game aggression. Initially, the Cybertruck skin will only be obtainable by completing nine quests in the Summer Road Trip event that began on July 23. Only one quest unlocks each day, making July 31 the earliest that players can expect to see a Cybertruck in-game. The quests will remain active until August 6, after which players who want Fortnite’s Cybertruck skin will have to buy it with V-Bucks in what might safely be called the greatest self-own offered by contemporary gaming.