In the game Fortnite , there are lots of monsters. But Epic makes it clear: These are not zombies.
We do not use the Z-word: In a statement to “The Verge” , Epic clarified that there are no zombies in the Fortnite universe.
The new monsters in Battle Royale mode that Jürgen likes, and also the old monsters in “Save the World” have names, but none of them are “Zombie”:
Officially, they are called “Cube Monsters,” Epic explains. In the German patch notes, they are referred to as “Scheusale”.
An Epic employee further explains: Throughout Fortnite, we do not call any enemy “Zombie.” In Save the World, there are “Husks” and “Monsters” of various kinds and types.
Like in Shaun of the Dead: In this way, Epic follows the motto from the movie “Shaun of the Dead.”
There, the main character Shaun makes it clear: “We do not say the Z-word. It’s silly!”
What’s behind it: The “We do not use the Z-word” is a typical motif from zombie movies that was parodied in “Shaun of the Dead” (via TvTrope).
In numerous movies, TV series, and comics that take themselves seriously, zombies appear but are called something else:
- such as “Infected” (28 Days Later)
- “Walker” or “Biters” (The Walking Dead)
- in the modern zombie film “Train to Busan,” it is almost completely avoided to give zombies a name – they only appear as a hashtag in a message (#Zombies)
In some of the films, it is made clear that the pop culture thing “Zombie” does not exist at all. For example, “The Walking Dead” takes place in an alternate timeline where there has never been a zombie movie. Therefore, for the people in this world, encountering the Biters is something completely new.
That the characters in a film do not name the “monsters” the way almost every viewer does can be observed not only with zombies. This is common in films.
You do not want all clichés to hang around because that would ruin the tension. By making it clear that zombies are already known from countless films, they lose their uniqueness.
Most players and also content creators will likely continue to call the monsters in Fortnite zombies.
Even Epic admits that they understand why the “Cube Monsters” are called zombies out there.
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The “Scheusale” are causing a split in the Fortnite community and have already prompted initial reactions from Epic:
