Samus Aran x Fortnite: Why Mario and Pokemon are unlikely to appear anytime soon

Fortnite has collaborated with many brands and Intellectual Properties across pop culture, bringing iconic figures from other universes and even real life into the game for players to embody and play as. Since the first Gaming Legends skin with Kratos, the possibilities for cross-game collaborations have been endless, with players constantly expressing their desire for characters from Nintendo's catalog to come to the Island.

However, despite constant demands from the community, a Fortnite x Nintendo collaboration has never materialized. While Epic Games has previously tried approaching Nintendo for a collaboration with characters like Samus Aran and Mario, the latter hasn't budged when it comes to the character rights. Now, a new revelation has emerged, adding to the already complicated situation.

Note: Parts of this article are based on the author's opinion.

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Donald Mustard reveals why a Samus Aran x Fortnite collaboration never happened

In a recent interview with prominent gaming journalist Stephen Totilo, Donald Mustard, former Chief Creative Officer at Epic Games and the overseer of the Fortnite storyline, revealed how a Samus Aran x Fortnite collaboration never came true due to Nintendo wanting the skin to only be visible on their platform: the Nintendo Switch.

This means only those playing the game on the Nintendo Switch could access and even see the Samus Aran skin, potentially due to Nintendo wanting to enforce its rights to the character. While Donald Mustard's revelation was largely based around Samus Aran, it highlights Nintendo's approach toward a potential collaboration.

Since Nintendo is already extremely protective of the rights to Samus Aran, it's fair to assume that its other popular characters and franchises, like Mario and Pokemon, would face the same terms for a potential crossover. This implies Nintendo could demand the same mandate of only being visible on the Nintendo Switch for future collaborations.

While platform-exclusive skins aren't new to the game, locking an iconic collaboration like Samus Aran or Mario behind a console barrier isn't something Epic Games would want to do. Nintendo is infamous for being overprotective when it comes to their characters' rights, rarely indulging in collaborations and letting their characters join other universes, so this new revelation is not unprecedented.

However, this does spell bad news for fans of these beloved franchises since it's clear that when it comes to collaborations, Nintendo and Epic Games don't see eye to eye. Only time will tell if Nintendo allows for a little flexibility for their character rights and comes to an agreement with Epic Games to let these iconic characters join Fortnite's vast roster.