Everything We Know About Fortnite's March Through Time Event
The March Through Time event in "Fortnite" was added into the game on August 26, 2021. The event very quickly blew up, trending on Twitter that same day as people had a lot to say about the event.The Community Manager at Epic Games, Ryan Broseker, posted an announcement about the March Through Time event on PlayStation's blog, explaining what the event was, why Epic felt the need to create the event, and who helped Epic create the event.
The event follows Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's life in an interactive museum within the game. There are also quests and various points around the Washington DC '63 map, which was recreated to be the same city it was when Dr. King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963. Some players had questions about what sorts of safeguards would be in place for the event. Combined with the misinformation being spread on Twitter, backlash started rising towards the event as a whole. However, Epic Games had high hopes for this event, and there were several goals that the March Through Time event had for players.
The March Through Time event was meant to educate and bring players together
According to Ryan Broseker, the event is meant to teach "Fortnite" players about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's life and hear Dr. King's teachings about the Civil Rights Movement. The official "Fortnite" Twitter account posted a short video highlighting the event, explaining that players could even listen to Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech in game.
There were also quests in the event that required players to work together — something that Broseker pointed out was done deliberately to remind players of one of Dr. King's teachings: "We move forward when we work together." This interactive museum was a way for "Fortnite" and other groups, like TIME Magazine, to teach young minds about the Civil Rights Movement, a topic that many American schools largely ignore according to a study from CBS. The March Through Time event was created to help educate players who may have never read about the topic.
The March Through Time event wasn't just created by Epic Games
The event may be hosted on "Fortnite," but it was actually put together by a collaborative group, headed by TIME Magazine. Additionally, it was the "Fortnite" Creative Community that built Washington DC '63. The group of creators were ChaseJackman, GQUanoe, XWDFr, and YU7A as the PlayStation blog explained.
Several groups were consulted during the making of the March Through Time event, including the Estate of Martin Luther King Jr. and the DuSable Museum of African American History. By collaborating with a variety of different groups, "Fornite" developers attempted to create a sensitive, thoughtful, educational experience for gamers.
The DuSable Museum of African American History and TIME Magazine worked on this event as part of The March, an online exhibit that's focused on recreating DC in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. According to TIME Magazine, "Fortnite" was the perfect setting to also host the exhibit because of the younger audience and the game's massive popularity.