Well, this is strange. Out on a whim, I decided to watch the original 1982 Tron film, as I’d never seen it before. Then, cue my surprise to find out that Tron, out of seemingly nowhere, is coming to the all-conquering media entity Fortnite (is it safe to call it more than a video game at this point?) and suddenly I feel strangely prophetic.
Welcome to the Grid.
Gear up as Grid Warriors and fight for the users! Tron Outfits are in the Shop now.
More info: https://t.co/brB6ItQaeH pic.twitter.com/XwXFIbh0Il
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) February 12, 2021
That’s right, the latest crossover in the long, long list of Fortnite crossovers, featuring franchises from Marvel to… um, the entirety of football/soccer, is the cult-classic Tron series, specifically the latest 2010 Tron: Legacy film. This collaboration had previously been teased beforehand on Fortnite’s Twitter account in the latest “Reality Log” transmission, as well as through a portal that players could glimpse through in-game.
The items are available in the Fortnite in-game store right now and consist of ten various Tron-themed outfits and character models that all have helmet options. The iconic Tron light cycle is available to buy as a replacement glider, complete with a light trail that follows the path of the player just like its movie vehicle counterpart. Finally, the identity disk present on the backs of all the programs that exist within the Grid is obtainable, and functions as an equivalent to the pickaxe, which is used to extract building materials which are, in turn, used to build various structures like walls, stairs, and traps to gain any possible edge over fellow players.
It’s a strange announcement, especially when considering the state of the Tron franchise. The latest film last came out 11 years ago, and it wasn’t exactly the best received at the time, although it has gained a passionate following since. The original film likely precedes the birth of many people playing Fortnite today, and there hasn’t been an official reason to believe that a third entry in the franchise is coming any time soon, despite rumors and reports. We’ll see if that mood changes with this endeavor.
