Plus-size Fortnite skin causes major controversy on Twitter

Fortnite is becoming more inclusive with each passing season. Gone are the days when Outfits were generic and only catered to a select body type. From characters with augmented limbs to individuals like Joy that proudly showcase Vitiligo - there's something for everyone to choose from in this battle royale title. However, despite Epic Games' effort to make the game inclusive for everyone, things seldom go according to plan.

As part of the Summer Escape 2023, an Outfit called Opal was added to the Item Shop. It was leaked during the Fortnite Update v 25.11, but there was no hue and cry about it at the time. However, as soon as it was released, for reasons unknown, the Outfit received major backlash for being plus-size.

A few users took to Twitter to shame the Outfit in question and made fun of it. While their comments were directed towards the cosmetic item, it did not take long for the criticism to shift direction and target plus-size individuals. This has led to an all-out hate-spewing fest within the community.

Thankfully, not everyone is backing down from the confrontation, with some standing their ground.

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Criticism against the skin causes drama within the Fortnite community

While Opal is not the first plus-size Outfit to be introduced to Fortnite, for reasons unknown, she has become the center of controversy. Numerous community members have "fat-shamed" the Outfit to the extent that it has led to major backlash on social media. The crux of the situation seems to be that the Outfit is badly designed and is the reason for the hate comments.

However, over time, the hate directed towards the Outfit has transcended and has now become a personal attack toward certain community members itself. While these individuals have been called out and, to an extent, canceled on social media platforms such as Twitter, it has left the community in shambles once again.

Below is one such hate tweet sent out a while ago:

Disclaimer: The tweet contains strong language.

As mentioned, while attention was initially directed toward the Opal Outfit, the issue is that body-shaming tends to shift from the game to individuals eventually. Thankfully, most Fortnite community members took a stand against this and spoke out on social media:

As seen from the comments, while some agree that the Outfit itself is poorly designed, the need to body-shame it is uncalled for. Given that these are merely pixels on a screen, it's truly baffling as to why some individuals would have a problem with it. More so with other plus-size Outfits, such as Penny being "OG," seeing this sort of reaction from a few users is uncalled for.

Taking into account that many of these Outfits are designed by players for players, shaming body proportions is a slap in the face of the community. Especially one that is trying to be as inclusive as possible.

That being said, while the controversy and hate have died out, it's only a matter of time before such issues arise with other cosmetic items in Fortnite.