Nike partners with Fortnite for NFT sneaker hunt event

Fortnite x Nike Air Max Official Trailer

Sportswear giant Nike has hinted at a collaboration with the popular online game Fortnite with a 25-second teaser on Nike’s official Twitter account, announcing a sneaker hunt event set to begin on June 20 within Fortnite’s virtual universe.

Set against a cloudy animated backdrop, the clip shows the collaboration of the two companies, dubbed “Fortnite x NIKE AIR MAX.” It also introduced the term “Airphoria,” presumably the name of the upcoming NFT-related “sneakerhunt” game.

While Nike and Fortnite creator Epic Games have yet to reveal details about the partnership, the teaser prominently featured Nike’s .Swoosh NFT platform logo alongside the Unreal Engine logo, suggesting an integration with Fortnite and potentially the wider Unreal Engine ecosystem.

“I remember that Fortnite recently launched Fortnite Creative 2.0, which has a strong self-built map mode similar to creating games on ROBLOX. I guess Nike may have used this mode to create a game. Two years ago, Nike also created a game on ROBLOX, but it was not combined with NFT[s] at that time,” noted one Twitter user.

The .Swoosh platform, launched on the Ethereum scaling network Polygon, serves as Nike’s foray into the digital apparel realm. Initially unveiled in late 2022, the platform gradually opened up and recently introduced minting for tradable NFT “Air Force 1” sneakers dubbed “Our Force 1.”

Nike’s .Swoosh platform has garnered significant success. During its initial NFT collection launch in May, themed around sneakers, the platform generated over $1 million in sales within just two days despite encountering technical issues during the launch.

“We ran into an unforeseen error that held up the minting process. This also blocked additional purchases,” the .Swoosh team said via Twitter, hinting that the sales could’ve been higher without the issues.

Speculation within the community regarding the partnership further hints at Nike potentially utilizing Fortnite Creative 2.0, a tool that allows users to design game maps of virtual islands and incorporate assets from Fortnite.

Nike’s foray into gaming

Nike’s collaboration with Fortnite follows another gaming-related partnership between the sportswear giant and game publisher Electronic Arts (EA). EA Sports, the division responsible for popular franchises such as FIFA and Madden NFL, recently revealed a collaboration with Nike and .Swoosh to introduce apparel and accessory NFTs, referred to as “virtual creations,” in future games.

The specific games set to incorporate Nike NFTs have yet to be confirmed.

While the integration of NFTs in gaming has faced some criticism from gamers, collaborations with mainstream games such as Fortnite and EA Sports titles could potentially help normalize the utilization of Web3 features within the gaming community.

Fortnite, boasting an estimated 243 million players in the past 30 days, remains one of the most popular games globally. Since its launch in 2017, the online battle royale shooter has generated billions of dollars in revenue through the sale of digital items in partnership with entertainment, fashion and gaming brands.

.SWOOSH

2023-06-02 19:36

What’s In The Game? Only time will tell…@EASPORTS x .SWOOSH 🎮⚽️🏈🏆 https://t.co/AXgidKX7rd

2568 262

These items, known as “skins,” allow players to customize their in-game appearance. However, Fortnite’s skins are typically confined within the Fortnite ecosystem and cannot be resold or used in other games or virtual worlds. NFTs, in contrast, are freely tradeable and composable blockchain assets, enabling the potential for cross-platform functionality.