Did Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 4 copy Splatoon? Accusations explained

When Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 4's trailer dropped, many within the community accused the developers of copying Splatoon. Given how popular the latter is on Nintendo Switch, it didn't take long for fans to compare notes and point out similarities between the two offerings.

That being said, this is not another Among Us situation where the developers outright copied an entire game without its creators' consent. This time, the accusations revolve around certain aesthetic features. With that said, it's time to figure out if Epic Games really did copy from Splatoon or if fans are overreacting.

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Fortnite vs. Splatoon: Chrome vs. Paint

In Chapter 3 Season 4, the developers added a brand new element called Chrome. With the arrival of The Herald, this substance has spread across the island, consuming all organic life in its path.

Subsequently, with the introduction of this brand new substance, a new item called Chrome Splash was added to Fortnite as well. When used, it covers players in Chrome and allows them to turn into blob-like creatures and gain mobility. Fall damage is also mitigated, and fire resistance is boosted in this state.

While these mechanics are brand new in Fortnite, according to some players, the ideation was stolen. In Splatoon, a similar mechanic exists; however, it is very different from what is found in the metaverse.

When a player fires their weapon in Splatoon, it leaves Paint trails on the ground. Owing to the lore in-game, gamers can dive into this substance and use it to move about faster. This is generally used to flank or fall back quickly.

Given the visual similarities in Chrome and Paint, one may think that Epic Games has once again copied from another developer. However, that's far from the truth. Chrome in Fortnite works very differently from Paint in Splatoon. However, their dissimilarities are subtle.

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Chrome is not the same as Paint

For starters, players can only enter the blob or "squid form" after using a Chrome Splash in Fortnite. The state has a fixed duration, and once it ends, gamers will no longer be able to turn into a blob to get a speed boost until they use another Chrome Splash.

Once turned into a Chrome blob in Fortnite, players can dash mid-air. This is not something that's native to Splatoon. Chrome also restores the HP of vehicles/structures/gamers and allows them to phase through buildings that are made of the element.

In Splatoon, Paint acts as more of a landscape mechanic than a time-limited item. Players don't have to use any tools or gadgets to be able to use the Paint on the ground to traverse. Just by pressing the ZL button on their Nintendo Switch, they can activate the mechanic.

Additionally, Chrome mechanics/features will be limited to Chapter 3 Season 4 only. Thus, even stating that the Chrome/Paint theme was copied from Splatoon might be an illogical statement.

That being said, while visual similarities between the two things may be present in Fortnite, in terms of mechanics, they are very different. While it can be stated that the Epic Games title "took inspiration" from Splatoon, accusing the developers of copying from the game makes little sense.

Truth be told, if the community felt that Fortnite developers once again copied from someone else, they would have called out the culprits on social media by now. Given the Among Us fiasco, the backlash would have been swift. However, this time around, most fans simply joked about the similarities and moved on with the season.