I finally broke the seal on Fortnite this past week because I am a mark for KPop Demon Hunters and its trio of monster-slaying idols. Epic fast-tracked skins, cosmetics, and a reskinned mode themed around Netflix’s animated musical, and I paid for my first V-Bucks to play as Rumi and fight hordes of demons with shotguns and SMGs. Friends, it gave me the ick. I loathe Fortnite’s brand of artless, cross-promotional excess, and even a solid social hub and battle royale can’t wash that away for me. You know what can, though? Watching the singing voices of Huntr/x get into Fortnite now that their characters are in the game.
Rei Ami, the singing voice of Huntr/x’s rapper Zoey, has been campaigning for a KPop Demon Hunters X Fortnite collaboration for months, and even got to reveal her character’s skin ahead of the crossover’s launch. Now that she’s finally got it, she’s been playing Fortnite on streams and TikTok Lives as Zoey, and I haven’t seen a pop-off as hype as the first time she got a Victory Royale in the skin in a minute. My girl is out here emoting in real life.
Ejae and Audrey Nuna, the singing voices for Rumi and Mira, aren’t Fortnite players, but they did shoot a promo video reacting to the skins in which the group jokes about taking a class on how to play Epic’s game.
Well, it looks like those lessons are happening. Rei Ami posted a video during their ongoing promotional tour for KPop Demon Hunters, showing them spending some of their spare time playing Fortnite. Ejae managed to get 36th place in her first battle royale match as Rumi, though she was killed by another player called WetPickle4996. I want to talk to that player. Do they know they just destroyed the Honmoon?
I’m obsessed with this, and I’m waiting for some talented animators and artists to draw Zoey teaching Rumi and Mira how to play Fortnite like a new fandom in-joke. Huntr/x probably doesn’t have that much time to game these days, though, as the group is about to make their live debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon as the musical guest. The trio is performing “Golden” on tonight’s episode.
