The developers of Forza Horizon 4 stated in the patch notes of the new update that they are removing two emotes from the game. This could be due to caution regarding lawsuits against the Fortnite developer Epic Games.
What happened? Playground Games, the developers of the Xbox One exclusive racing game Forza Horizon 4, have indicated in the patch notes for the latest update that they are not only adding some features but also removing two emotes. These are the dances “Carlton” and “Floss”.
Both emotes are also known from the battle royale game Fortnite. However, the gestures are currently causing a stir there, as both creators of the respective dances – Alfonso Ribeiro from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” for the “Carlton” and Russell “Backpack Kid” Horning for the “Floss” – are currently suing Epic Games for the use of the emotes in Fortnite.
Why are the emotes being removed? Playground Games did not provide a reason for the removal of the emotes. However, it can be assumed that it has something to do with the dances in Fortnite, as the “most famous” lawsuits currently filed against Epic Games concern precisely these two gestures.
In addition, Forza Horizon 4 features other well-known moves: players can have their characters dance the moonwalk by Michael Jackson, the Macarena, or “Hotline Bling” by Drake.
Are there more lawsuits? Fortnite is currently overwhelmed with lawsuits. In addition to Alfonso Ribeiro and the “Backpack Kid”, rapper 2 Milly and the mother of the “Orange Shirt Kid” have also raised issues regarding the use of their gestures. Both parties complain that while Epic Games uses their dances, it fails to acknowledge that they did not create the emotes at all. Additionally, there are the revenues the studio generates through the sale of the gestures.
