The Fortnite festival continues to amaze the world with bold musical integrations. In its ninth season, the main star is two-time Grammy Award winner Bruno Mars. As gaming and show business become increasingly intertwined, what do musicians and players gain, and why are such events changing perceptions of virtual entertainment?
Active collaboration of musicians with Fortnite
Epic Games not only creates a game universe together with Disney, but also collaborates with numerous stars. Fortnite’s partnerships with the most influential artists of the contemporary scene have become a real sensation in recent years. By bringing together on a single virtual stage The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Metallica, Snoop Dogg, Billie Eilish, and other global pop culture icons, the game’s creators add new emotions to the gaming experience. They also help shape a new digital culture for millions of players.
The concept of “music icons” in Fortnite implies a special status for performers. Their work is integrated into the game as virtual concerts, collectible skins, unique music tracks, and special in-game events. This strategy has already firmly captured the attention of a young audience, as evidenced by attendance records for musical seasons and positive participant feedback.
How Bruno Mars ended up in the spotlight
It’s no coincidence that Bruno Mars became the next “icon” of the season. According to Spotify, in January 2024, he became the first artist to reach 150 million monthly listeners. This result was confirmed by several specialized media outlets, including Billboard. Remarkably, such a bright success came despite a long hiatus in his solo career. Bruno Mars’s last studio album was released in 2016.
The key tracks for the Fortnite festival were his successful collaborations: Die With A Smile (with Lady Gaga, August 2024, over 2.62 billion streams) and APT. (with ROSÉ, October 2024, over 1.7 billion streams). Both tracks received individual Jam Tracks in the game, and the artist’s look from the Die With A Smile music video was added as an exclusive skin for the new season.
Even last year’s gambling scandal did not damage the musician’s reputation. It was previously reported that Bruno Mars allegedly lost $50 million gambling. It is unknown exactly which games he played. After all, millions of people prefer to play Crazy Time Game, which, according to the link, is available in many well-known online casinos. Virtual slots, roulette, and other online games are also popular. Whether the musician followed the example of online players or preferred land-based casinos is not specified. There is also no direct evidence that this actually happened.
What awaits players in season 9
The main ticket to a world of new musical experiences is the Music Pass—a digital subscription for 1,400 V-Bucks (Fortnite’s in-game currency). It grants access to a wide range of content: exclusive Bruno Mars skins, new Jam Tracks, and additional items from his musical work. Among the rewards are the Last Reprise guitar, an exact replica of the instrument from the music video, and the Red Hearts Kit drum set.
For fans of extended collections, the developers offer the World Tour Bundle. This set includes outfit variants (Bruno-San Outfit and Bruninho Style), the Bruno’s Collection Back Bling backpack, as well as the dance emote Bonde do Brunão. According to experts and representatives of Epic Games, such unique skins and musical elements liven up the gameplay and increase interest in new seasons.
Virtual concerts attract millions of gamers
Striking examples of musical events in the game have been massive, multi-million-attendee concerts. In December 2024, the final show Remix: The Finale brought together 14.3 million concurrent participants. For comparison, Travis Scott’s virtual performance in 2020 attracted 12.3 million viewers.
Alongside this, we observe a shift of interest among both gamers and music fans, for whom virtual concerts have become an important part of digital communities. As experts assert (MBW, 2018), Fortnite has provided artists with a fundamentally new channel of interaction with fans. For listeners, it has given an innovative way to support their favorite idols.
Why musical integrations matter in the digital space
Musical events open up additional streams of income not only for artists, but for game developers as well. The introduction of new skins, Jam Tracks, and themed emotes expands the market for in-game purchases. At the same time, issues of copyright regulation arise. Epic Games acknowledges the complexity of these matters and in practice seeks to develop transparent mechanisms for rights holders to participate.
The trend is clear: today, Fortnite is becoming a platform where classic gameplay is complemented by an extensive system of interactive shows, exclusive digital collections, and musical innovation. The game is turning into a global stage for collaboration between musicians, gamers, and creators, blurring the boundaries between industries.