Epic Games Removes Peacemaker Emote from Fortnite Following Season 2’s Twist In Episode 6

This reveal has viewers retroactively examining the ongoing season. In particular, the opening credits’ dance sequence is theorized to have been a bit of Nazi foreshadowing due to an arm movement that could be intercepted as making a swastika. What’s added credibility to the theory for some is the move’s resemblance to an anti-Nazi Donald Duck propaganda cartoon from the 1940s called “Der Fuerher’s Face.” This cartoon won an Oscar in 1943 and is a popular source of shocking out-of-context GIFs, so it’s not an obscure reference. However, this is still speculative as Peacemaker showrunner and CEO of DC Studios James Gunn hasn’t confirmed anything. He is aware of the emote, given Gunn shouted out the collab earlier in September

On September 28, Epic Games said on X that it removed the emote, stating “We’re disabling the Peaceful Hips Emote in Fortnite as we inquire into our partner’s creative intentions in this collab emote. Assuming it’s not coming back, we’ll issue refunds in the next few days. Sorry folks.” Epic Games’ reaction isn’t totally surprising. Having an emote that could potentially be a swastika reference in one of the most popular games on Earth is kind of asking for trouble. Still, it makes one wonder what the process was like for including the emote in the first place considering that, while the latest episode has come out after the emote’s release, these kinds of collaborations presumably go through weeks of preparation. 

It’s worth noting that Nazi and Nazi imagery have appeared in games many times throughout the years, from any number of Call of Duty games to as recently as 2024’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, where players can punch all the Third Reich that they want. Additionally, James Gunn has a notable track record of hating Nazis in pretty explicit ways (see: G.I. Robot from Creature Commandos who only cares about annihilating Nazis), and DC has always portrayed Earth-X as an abject dystopia where evil won. 

All this to say, it’s unclear what creative intentions Epic Games is worried about given its partner likely isn’t trying to promote Nazism. Regardless, if Epic Games only has issue with the emote after Peacemaker’s twist, the move might just be indicative of how Fortnite is more concerned about ruffling any feathers by touching anything it considers political than engaging with the source material of its collaborators.