In a recent update, Epic Games has introduced a new setting in Fortnite that allows players to block specific emotes considered “confrontational.” The “Confrontational Emotes” setting, part of the v29.30 update released on April 23rd, gives players the ability to toggle the visibility of four emotes: Laugh It Up, Take the L, Whipcrack, and Make It Plantain.
Players who opt to hide these emotes will see a player standing still without any sound instead of the emote animation. Epic Games explained the rationale behind this decision, stating that while emotes are intended to be a source of positive interactions, certain ones can be perceived as confrontational.
The setting is located under “Social Privacy” and defaults to displaying these emotes only from friends in the player’s party. However, players can adjust the setting to show or hide the emotes from all players.
This change has sparked mixed reactions within the Fortnite community. Some players have expressed disbelief that Epic Games would allow players to block any emotes, particularly some of the most popular ones like “Take the L.” Others, however, have defended the decision, arguing that even with these emotes disabled, players will still see their own avatars perform them.
Some members of the community have raised concerns about the potential impact on players who purchased these emotes specifically for the purpose of trolling others. They have suggested that Epic Games offer refunds for these emotes.
It remains to be seen whether players will adopt alternative emotes to express confrontational behavior and if Epic Games will expand the list of blocked emotes in the future.
