English virtual band Gorillaz have been named as the “icons” for Epic Games’ Fortnite Festival Season 10, coming after the Season 9 Festival with Bruno Mars.
The new season launches Tuesday (August 26), and players will be able to unlock all four Gorillaz members’ outfits, Jam Tracks and accessories via the Season 10 Music Pass, priced at 1,400 V-Bucks (about $11).
Additional tracks including Clint Eastwood and DARE will be available in the Shop.
Gorillaz joins other major artists who have been featured as “icons” on Fortnite, including The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Metallica, Karol G, Snoop Dogg, Hatsune Miku, Bruno Mars, and Sabrina Carpenter.
Created in 1998 by Damon Albarn of alt-rock band Blur and artist Jamie Hewlett in London, Gorillaz have sold over 33 million equivalent albums globally, according to data from Chart Masters.
The group, known for blending animated characters with other collaborators, has produced eight studio albums, three compilation albums, 11 EPs, one remix album and 46 singles.
For the Season 10 Fortnite Festival, multiple Jam Tracks will be available featuring Gorillaz hits. The DARE track comes bundled with a choreographed emote that plays part of the song, while On Melancholy Hill serves as a premium reward.
The Music Pass features two outfits as premium rewards. Russel Hobbs comes auto-unlocked after purchasing the Music Pass, while the Murdoc Niccals outfit comes as a premium reward.
The Noodle & 2D Bundle is also available in the Fortnite Shop, allowing players to get their outfits and accessories including a Noodle mask and a 2D sunglasses. The package also includes back bling items, musical instruments, and the DARE emote with Jam Track.
Beyond the Gorillaz integration, Season 10 introduces several game improvements including adding “Good” notes to make it clearer in the user interface when a user is “just short of ‘Perfect.’” Fortnite says it has also redesigned lift notes “so that it’s easier to tell when to press and when to let go.”
The update also includes enhanced guitar controller calibration, allowing players to strum during the tune-up process. A new Main Stage will also be introduced featuring skyscrapers, a street train and graffiti to match Gorillaz’ aesthetic.
For content creators, Epic Games is offering a seven-day window at the start of Season 10 to monetize videos featuring eligible Gorillaz songs, provided they link their YouTube and Support-A-Creator (SAC) accounts. The eligible tracks include Clint Eastwood and DARE.
After the initial period, Epic Games said: “Content creators should expect to receive monetization claims by the respective rights holders.”
The program reflects Epic Games’ efforts to support creators. In 2023, Epic Games announced that creators of eligible Fortnite “islands” and experiences will receive a share of revenue based on engagement with their published content.
Under Fortnite’s new Creator Economy 2.0 program, Epic Games will place 40% of the net revenue from Fortnite’s Item Shop and related real-money purchases into the engagement pool.
The Fortnite x Gorillaz collaboration coincides with the band’s House of Kong Exhibition at the Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London. The exhibition opened on August 8 and will run through September 3.
Earlier this month, Epic Games partnered with Sony Music Entertainment to launch an immersive PARTYNEXTDOOR concert experience in Fortnite. The interactive event was developed in collaboration with Sony Immersive Music Studios and OVO Sound, Drake’s label.
Sony Corporation has invested significantly in Epic Games, spending over $1 billion across multiple investment rounds since 2020 to acquire stakes in the Fortnite maker.
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