The Fortnite Holocaust Museum, also known as Voices of the Forgotten, is a virtual museum in the video game Fortnite Creative, designed by Luc Bernard and approved by publisher Epic Games. It became available in August 2023.
| Fortnite Holocaust Museum | |
|---|---|
| Fortnite location | |
 | |
| First appearance | Fortnite Creative |
| Created by | Luc Bernard |
| In-universe information | |
| Other name(s) | Voices of the Forgotten |
| Type | Virtual museum |
Content
The museum features photographs and plaques highlighting people who resisted the Nazis, and show visitors examples of Nazi atrocities, such as the Kristallnacht.[1] One room in the museum features a "Hall of Historical Figures" featuring people such as Marianne Cohn and Abdol Hossein Sardari.[1][2]
On August 3, 2023, The Jewish Chronicle uploaded a trailer for the Fortnite Holocaust Museum, showcasing the displays and the first person & single player perspective of the exhibit.[3] Designer Luc Bernard cited his fears of the misuse of AI as being a driving force behind his attempts to build a virtual Holocaust exhibit.[4]
Response
Fortnite publisher Epic Games approved the project in August 2023.[5][6][7] Some critics[who?] of the museum have highlighted issues with Fortnite's virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Museum in 2021, where Epic Games disabled emotes following players recording themselves dancing to King's "I Have a Dream" speech.[8] In response to concerns about vandalism of the memorial, Bernard said that many of the game's features would be disabled, arguing that this would make the Fortnite Holocaust Museum better protected than real world monuments.[9][10]
The Christian Science Monitor commented on the choice of Fortnite as a venue for a Holocaust Museum:
"Fortnite is not an obvious location for a museum about genocide; the popular battle royal game is probably known best for its extensive suite of goofy, gesticulating characters. It's a place where you can find Batman duking it out with a sentient banana peel, and then swinging his arms in a viral victory dance known as the griddy."[11]
Release
The release of the Fortnite Holocaust Museum was delayed following concerns of vandalism by Neo-Nazi internet trolls, particularly after comments from American Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes.[8] It became available on August 14, 2023.[12]
References
- ^ a b Gillott, Hannah (August 3, 2023). "Virtual Holocaust museum to be launched in Fortnite". The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on August 9, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
- ^ Stanton, Rich (August 4, 2023). "Fortnite's adding a museum about the Holocaust". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ Walkthrough: World's first Fortnite Holocaust museum, August 3, 2023, archived from the original on August 14, 2023, retrieved August 14, 2023
- ^ Applebaum, Stephen (April 27, 2023). "Why I built a Holocaust museum inside Fortnite". inews.co.uk. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ "Fortnite Has A Museum Dedicated To Teaching About The Holocaust". Kotaku. August 4, 2023. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ "Dev Creates In-Game Holocaust Museum In Fortnite To Spread Awareness". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ "Virtual Holocaust museum to be built in Fortnite video game". The Jerusalem Post. August 8, 2023. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Cascone, Sarah (August 10, 2023). "The Opening of a New Virtual Holocaust Museum in Fortnite Has Been Delayed After White-Supremacist Nick Fuentes Rallied Antisemites to Attack It". Artnet News. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
- ^ Murty, Megha (August 9, 2023). "Fortnite's First Holocaust Museum Has Been Approved by Epic Games". IGN India. Archived from the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
- ^ "Game Developer Builds Holocaust Museum in Fortnite". Game Rant. August 3, 2023. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ McGinnis, Lindsey (August 10, 2023). "A museum that changes the game". Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on August 11, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
- ^ Small, Zachary (August 16, 2023). "At Holocaust Museum in Fortnite, Superheroes and Atrocities Collide". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.