This Ferrari is Coming to Fortnite

This Ferrari is Coming to Fortnite

Jul 22, 2021 4 Min Read Posted by Jacob Hancox

Epic Games are adding a new Ferrari to Fortnite, making it the first real-world car to make it into the game.

Photo credit: Epic Games

Epic Games, the developers behind the Battle Royale smash hit Fortnite, have taken to Twitter to tease a new collaboration between their game and one of the world’s most famous car brands, Ferrari. The teaser itself is just an image of the side of a red Ferrari with the legendary prancing horse logo on full display. The upshot is that a new car will be added to Fortnite, and it will be a Ferrari.

What Happened?

At the same moment as the Fortnite Twitter published its teaser, Ferrari Esports also tweeted out the same image. Any feeling of suspense was abruptly put to an end four minutes later when the official Ferrari account retweeted the picture along with the information that the Ferrari 296 GTB will be usable in Fortnite starting from Thursday, 22 July. The 296 GTB will be the first real-world car brand to be represented within Fortnite.

Judging by online discussion, the Fortnite fan base isn’t too happy about the addition. Many fans have stated that they would like Epic Games to focus on fixing gameplay issues rather than adding new cars, while others bemoaned the state of advertising within the game. It seems unlikely that the addition of the Ferrari 296 GTB will have hindered developers significantly in working on other aspects of the game for future updates, so some of these concerns may be unfounded.

What’s in it for Ferrari?

Initially, the decision to sponsor Fortnite seems like an odd decision from the Italian manufacturer. After all, the target audience of Fortnite is, by and large, below driving age. Even those who are old enough to get behind the wheel are probably still young enough that they are less likely to be able to afford a Ferrari.

With this in mind, it seems clear that the intention from Ferrari is to build a positive association with the brand for the next generation, to ensure that when the time comes for them to start buying high-end sports cars, Ferrari is the first brand on their minds. This eye towards the future is also evident in the fact that the Ferrari 296 GTB is a hybrid vehicle with both a V6 and an electric motor.

The car itself has yet to hit the streets in the real world. Only unveiled in June 2021, it is scheduled to release to the public some time in 2022. Maximum power output for the car, using both the engine and the electric motor, tops out at an impressive 820hp. Mid-engined and with rear-wheel drive, the 296 GTB is very much a car designed to go fast. Whether the supposed top speed of 338km/h (210mph) can be achieved in Fortnite is yet to be discovered.

What do you think of Ferrari x Fortnite? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!

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Jacob Hancox
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My name is Jacob and I have been writing for OverTake since November of 2020. I come from the UK, but I'm now living in Berlin. I love to watch, write about and sometimes shout about all forms of racing.