Fortnite Embraces Body Positivity with New Skin Release

It looks like Epic Games has shifted its approach to depicting shirtless characters in _Fortnite_. Historically, the game has either obscured or completely omitted male nipples in its various skins, but that seems to be changing. Last month, Homer Simpson made waves as the first character to break this trend, and now Carter Wu is set to join him with a skin that embraces the full look.

As noted, _Fortnite_ has had its share of shirtless skins featuring both fictional and real-life characters, but they often came with some form of censorship—like Kratos from _God of War_ sporting a pelt or characters like Travis Scott and John Cena having their nipples left out entirely. This practice isn’t unique to _Fortnite_; some anime and anime-inspired series, such as _Free!_ and _Persona_, have done the same. However, with the addition of Homer and now Carter Wu, it appears Epic Games may have relaxed its internal guidelines regarding the portrayal of male anatomy.

Given the vast number of skins in _Fortnite_, it’s unlikely that Epic will go back and update every shirtless character to reflect this new policy. Still, it could signal a future where new skins won’t shy away from showing male nipples.

In other _Fortnite_ news, the game is currently embroiled in discussions about generative AI, especially following comments from Epic’s CEO about the need for transparency regarding AI-generated in-game assets.