Epic Games is looking to combat toxic player behaviour in Fortnite by giving players the option to hide emotes it considers 'confrontational'.
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How this is being implemented is via a new setting as part of V29.30 update, allowing those in the battle royale to toggle between seeing these emotes from anyone to friends or no one.
With online gaming communities known for being quite hostile, the hope is this will create a more friendlier environment for players.
The "See Confrontational Emotes" setting is now rolling out worldwide, so we've laid out the steps to put it into action as well as the emotes that will be hidden as a result.
How to hide 'confrontational emotes' in Fortnite explained
Fortnite Settings Hide Emotes. Epic Games
To hide any emotes that users might find confrontational, head to the settings menu and toggle across to the "Social Privacy" tab. Scroll down to find the "See Confrontation Emotes" option and flick it between three options to fit your preference. These options include:
Epic Games has deemed four emotes as 'confrontational'.
"We want emotes to be a source of good vibes, but a few (*cough* Take the L *cough*) can sometimes feel a bit overly confrontational," said the developer in a post (via X, formerly Twitter) explaining the decision.
The first one is Laugh It Up, which sees the player laugh uncontrollably while the sound of a donkey wailing is played in the backdrop.
Take the L is the second. This has the player jumping from leg to leg while placing their finger and thumb on their forehead resembling the shape of the letter L. Both of these have been attributed to toxic player behaviour.
Meanwhile, the third, Whipcrack, is exactly as it sounds, first introduced as part of Catwoman's inventory. Finally, Make it Plantain has bananas firing out of the character's finger in a 'make it rain' style.
These two have been associated with prejudice in the Fortnite community, hence why they may have been selected.
Whether or not these emotes will be available in the item shop is yet to be determined.
Fortnite is available across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC via the Epic Games Store.
Matt Poskitt is a freelance journalist who specialises in arts and culture – be that movies, TV, video games, tech or otherwise. Matt headed up the games and entertainment section at T3 (Future Publishing), alongside being found across The Guardian, CNET, PC Gamer Mag, GamesIndustry.biz, Insider, iNews, IGN, TechRadar, PC Gamer Mag, NME and many more.
