Fortnite x Cyberpunk: Where’s Male V?

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As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I must say that the recent collaboration between CD Projekt Red and Fortnite has left me both thrilled and somewhat dismayed. On one hand, I’m excited to see V and Johnny Silverhand in Fortnite, it’s a unique crossover that bridges two different genres of gaming. However, the fact that only the female version of V is available has sparked a bit of controversy among the community.

CD Projekt Red won’t be releasing the next Cyberpunk game for a while yet, but they’ve just teamed up with Fortnite to introduce character skins based on V and Johnny Silverhand in their Battle Royale mode.

Although numerous fans are delighted by the partnership, it ignited a bit of debate over the characterization of the male counterpart of V.

Male V Erasure?

Those who have experienced “Cyberpunk 2077” are aware that the character V can be customized to be either male or female at the start of the game. However, in the collaboration with “Fortnite”, only the female version of V is available, leaving some players dissatisfied as they don’t have the option to choose a male V.

Initially, some people have labeled this issue as ‘woke,’ but upon further clarification from Cyberpunk developer Patrick K. Mills (@TekinJ2000) on Twitter, it appears that the primary reason Male V wasn’t included in the game was because they were already working with Johnny Silverhand in their collaboration.

As it transpires, it boiled down to fundamental coordination. The partnership primarily consisted of merely two players for the game, and Mills deemed introducing Johnny more suitable instead of the male counterpart of character V.

Even if that was the explanation, some fans think this also has a marketing angle.

Cyberpunk’s Original Launch

Initially, Night City and Cyberpunk were not as well-received as they are today; instead, they became synonymous with one of the worst game launches in history.

Despite the high anticipation following the acclaimed Witcher III: Wild Hunt by CDPR, the launch of Cyberpunk on PS4-generation consoles was marred by numerous bugs and instability, making it nearly unplayable for many users. Players encountered frequent crashes that grew so severe they were removed from digital marketplaces.

@frostedkuki on Blue Sky proposes that making Female V the main character in Fortnite aligns with the branding of Cyberpunk since the release of Phantom Liberty. Originally, Male V was the symbol of Cyberpunk at its launch, so his image has been associated with all the negative publicity and poor reviews. However, by the time Phantom Liberty came out and the game was revamped, Female V had become the central figure in all marketing campaigns.

In essence, Male V and Female V symbolize distinct periods within the realm of Cyberpunk 2077, with Female V gaining greater popularity in this particular instance.

Wake Up Samurai

Regardless of Male V’s absence for this particular collaboration, there remains a possibility that he might be involved later on. This is because there are upcoming Cyberpunk projects in the pipeline, such as an animated series and a sequel to the original game. As a result, further collaborations with Fortnite could still occur.

In addition, various Cyberpunk-themed cosmetics and weapons are now accessible through this collaboration, and players can effortlessly customize their male characters to resemble the main character, Male V, even adding mantis blades.

As a devoted fan, I’m excited to share that Cyberpunk items will remain in Fortnite until January 7, 2025. Whether you’re gaming on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, or mobile devices, you can now immerse yourself in the thrilling world of Fortnite!

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2024-12-27 15:12