Everyone loves the light-hearted whimsicality of Fortnite, with its cartoon island, charismatic avatars and cheeky sense of humor. But you know what might make it even better? The arrival of an ancient cosmic evil in the form of a sinister clown who preys on children. Don’t agree? Well tough, because intrepid data-miners have uncovered files in the latest Fortnite patches that seem to indicate that the game’s having a crossover with It: Chapter Two.
Now, Epic’s world-conquering title is no stranger to promotional crossovers. We’ve seen Marshmello perform an exclusive concert for it, Nerf guns hitting the game, some NFL skins just in time for the 2019 Super Bowl, the arrival of Keanu Reeves’ John Wick and, most successfully, the Avengers: Infinity War x Fortnite crossover that saw Thanos himself wreaking havoc across the map. But this latest crossover might be the most unexpected in the Battle Royale’s history.
The proof that this might actually be a thing comes via an audio file that sounds a heck of a lot like Pennywise’s signature laugh. Not only that, but an object described as a ‘creepy balloon’ has been added to the game. My bet is that the crossover might not even be officially announced until it’s underway, with players spotting the mysterious balloons and finding themselves trapped in a terrifying encounter with Pennywise. Thing is, Fortnite‘s player base skews kinda young compared to other Battle Royale games and even if children aren’t being actively traumatized by Pennywise, parents may object.
In any case, if this does happen, it’ll be kicking off fairly soon. It: Chapter Two is released on September 6th and the studio will want the event to begin around the film’s premiere. My advice is to keep a careful eye out for new things on the map, and be cautious if you spot a balloon and decide to go looking in the dark corners.