Shaquille O'Neal could be the latest legend to join Fortnite, putting the NBA star on the same level of movie characters and superheroes.
What Happened: Internet leaks predict that O'Neal (aka Shaq) could get the Fortnite Icon series treatment in the popular online video game with the potential of skins and accessories coming Saturday, Oct. 4.
Leakers, like ShiinaBR, have pointed to Fortnite data files showing upcoming skins and themes based on O'Neal and the movie characters Billy from the Saw franchise and Leatherface from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise.
O'Neal, one of the best-known National Basketball Association players of all time, earned a long list of nicknames over the years. In addition to "Shaq," there could be multiple variations of O'Neal that appear in the game, including Diesel, Shaq Fu, Superman and DJ Diesel, his musician persona.
Performing as DJ Diesel, O'Neal may have teased the collaboration with Fortnite, sharing a video at a concert that showed a potential virtual version of himself in the game.
O'Neal also captioned a TikTok video of his performance with "Toronto...last night was EPIC," putting EPIC in all caps as a potential play on Epic Games, along with a winking face emoji.
O'Neal's collaboration with Fortnite could include skins, accessories, sound clips and a potential musical performance as DJ Diesel, as reported by Game Rant.
Epic Games and O'Neal have not confirmed anything yet, leaving gamers to decipher the leaks and hints from the former NBA's stars social media posts.
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Why It's Important: Fortnite is known for its partnerships and collaborations that often include skins and accessories that can be bought by gamers.
This freemium model of a free game with in-game purchases has helped Fortnite be one of the most successful games for parent Epic Games, which counts Tencent Holdings (OTC:TCEHY) as a 40% owner.
Through an investment by The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) in Epic Games, more Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar characters have made their way into Fortnite in recent months.
Several musicians have appeared to perform music in Fortnite or as purchasable skins including Marshmello, Travis Scott, Ariana Grande and Metallica.
O'Neal is not a stranger to video games with multiple "Shaq Fu" games previously released and his appearance in various NBA games.
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