Fortnite is no stranger to real-world crossovers, and the Tesla Cybertruck‘s arrival to the game on Tuesday is just the latest.
Epic Games teased the collaboration on Sunday with just the image of a tire tread and a cutoff Cybertruck logo. Then the studio released a small trailer on Monday with Fishstick successfully towing other in-game vehicles.
There’s not a lot of information right now about if there’s more to the Cybertruck addition than just a vehicle. Renowned leaker iFireMonkey said that a Cybertruck bundle was coming to Fortnite, and that it would include two outfits and some bling. We’ll have to see when it releases.
Pulls ♾️
Catch a ride in the @tesla Cybertruck in Fortnite tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/CA8xuYQreS
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) July 22, 2024
The Cybertruck has not exactly lived up to the marketing hype in the real world, with a litany of horror stories and errors hanging over its release. While all of this likely won’t matter in Fortnite since this is a marketing collaboration, it would be hilarious if it did. So let’s break down a hypothetical video game Cybertruck.
The Tesla website says the Cybertruck has an 11,000-pound towing capacity, which is about the same as an “average African elephant.” So the vehicle demonstrates that in the teaser, going up against a bus, a tank, and a red pickup. This is an homage to the number of towing videos released after the Cybertruck’s release.
While the site says it can drive almost anywhere, it can’t really off-road. According to MotorTrend, it had promised off-roading features that weren’t active months after launch (it looks like some were delivered just last month) and was missing the basics, like a spare tire. Multiple videos were posted online showing these problems in action, including footage of a model version having problems turning on a light road.
It doesn’t live up to durability claims either, which seems important in a game like Fortnite. While you can apparently shoot an arrow at it and it’ll only leave a dent, Tesla doesn’t recommend taking it through a car wash, with one user reporting that even with Car Wash Mode on, washing it bricked his truck.
Overall, there have been a number of complaints from Cybertruck owners, and that’s not taking into account the four recalls issued for the vehicle for problems ranging from trim near the truck bed that can come loose to concerns that the accelerator pedal could become stuck.
Doesn’t sound like the best vehicle for Fortnite, where you have to fight with sometimes otherworldly weapons and vehicles to become the last person standing. Thankfully for Tesla, Fortnite isn’t the real world.