Snoop Dogg's Times Square concert showcased the ambitious future of music in Fortnite

In front of thousands of fans in Times Square, his face visible on most screens, Snoop Dogg delivered a rendition of one of hip-hop's iconic lines. “This is nothing but a gangsta party,” he chanted. “It is nothing more than a Fortnite Gangsta Party.” The moment was part of a concert that also featured Ice Spice, all performed live in New York and simultaneously broadcast as an in-game event for anyone logged into the game. The Battle Royale has had numerous concerts and events in recent years, but the collaboration with Snoop is part of a plan to integrate music more deeply into the emerging metaverse.

“It’s a partnership,” Snoop said in a post-show interview. “Most games just want one song and you don't even see the artist. So for them to let us be a part of the game and this community is profound.”

In the past, Fortnites big musical moments were largely one-of-a-kind virtual concerts from artists like Ariana Grande and Metallica. But over the years, music has continued to permeate the game, to the point that Snoop's performance in Times Square was just the start of a month-long event.

FortniteThe current season of “Chapter 2 Remix” debuted this weekend, turning back the clock with a version of the battle royale map from a few years ago. But there’s a twist – hence the “remix” in the title. Every week the game changes slightly and focuses on a different artist. Snoop is up first. You can hire him as a companion, visit a heavily guarded Dogg Pound compound, or rock out while his songs play on the radio as you cruise around the island.

When you boot up Fortnite Festivalthe rhythm game, developed by Rock band Studio Harmonix, he's the new headliner, which means you can buy his songs to play along to, unlock Snoop-style guitars and drums, and buy a Crip Walk emote that plays “Drop It Like It's Hot.” Snoop is followed by Eminem, Ice Spice and the late Juice WRLD, with future updates introducing elements such as a gun that spits Eminem lyrics.

According to Nate Nanzer, Head of Global Partnerships at Fortnite According to developer Epic, there were two key points in the development of the game's music that led to this point. The first was Travis Scott's “Astronomical” concert, which demonstrated the scale of virtual events of this kind in front of over 12 million viewers. “After we did Travis Scott, everyone came to us and said, 'Hey, I want to do that,'” Nanzer says.

The second was the start of Fortnite Festival last year. Like Battle Royale mode, festival has seasons each headlined by a different artist, which has previously included stars like Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga. “If you look at all the things we've done before, they were pretty isolated cases,” says Nanzer. “We would do one event, and then months or even years would pass until we did something else. What festival We have made this venue available to us so that we can celebrate music more regularly.

For Snoop's son Cordell Broadus, there was a special moment that convinced him Snoop should be there Fortnite. In 2022, an in-game glider was developed in collaboration with Wu-Tang Clan that played the chorus to “CREAM” as players flew to the battle royale island. “I kept saying, 'I have to put his music in there,'” he explains. “Because every time I play Fortnite That's what I hear. A lot of the inspiration came from watching and seeing them do it Fortnite“isn’t afraid to really tackle hardcore hip-hop.”

This feeling intensified as the more ambitious virtual concerts began to make more waves. “We’re really competitive,” Broadus said. “So we’re competing with Travis Scott. What he did with it Fortnite was huge, and I feel like we exceeded that tonight. But we'll let the people decide.” (Snoop quickly clarified: “I didn't say that, that's what he said.”)

The Fortnite Headline-grabbing collaborations — and a prime Friday night spot in Times Square — feature major artists. According to Nanzer, part of turning the game into a viable music venue is integrating it in a variety of ways so that all types of artists can perform. In addition to virtual concerts and headliners festivalThere are emotes, in-game radio stations, and individual tracks you can purchase to play festival.

Not all of these ideas worked. Epic attempted to create a virtual tour stop for artists in 2020, even going so far as to set up a studio in Los Angeles, but the effort has largely fizzled. But the company continues to try to apply pressure Fortnite beyond its battle royale roots, with games like Lego FortniteWith a concentrated focus on community-created games and experiences and a still-mysterious virtual world built with Disney, music is another key tool in making the game more than just another live-service shooter, one increasingly difficult competitive environment. This is This applies to various scales, from Snoop in New York to an indie band getting their first airtime on one Fortnite Radio station.

“We want to work with the biggest artists in the world,” says Nanzer, “but we also want to see if we can include artists.” Fortnite.”