Fortnite Removes Police Cars Amid Real-Life Protests

Police cars have been removed from Epic's hugely popular battle royale game Fortnite, players have noticed following the release of the Chapter 2, Season 3 update.

A source connected to the game told The Wall Street Journal that the removal of the cop cars was in response to the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minnesota. However, the source said Epic Games was not trying to make a "political statement" but was instead attempting to be "sensitive about the issues" going on the world today.

Earlier this year, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney spoke about politics in gaming. "If a game tackles politics (or: weighty social issues), it should come from the heart of designers through the game, and not from marketing departments seeking to profit from division," he said.

Epic Games has yet to make a formal statement regarding the removal of police cars from Fortnite. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest, but given their quiet removal, it's possible Epic may opt not to share any statement. The change comes at the start of a season that will introduce drivable cars.

Fortnite is not the first game to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd. Games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and NHL 21 added splash screens to their games to remind people that racism and bigotry have no place in their communities. Numerous game companies have made donations to Black Live Matter and other organizations that fight racial injustice in the world.