One Phone Call That Changed Fortnite Forever

Fortnite’s transformation into a hub of pop culture crossovers began with a single, unexpected phone call. Epic Games initially had no plans to bring outside characters into the battle royale — until a marathon conversation between Avengers directors Joe and Anthony Russo and Epic’s then-Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard flipped the script.

🛑 Epic Games Originally Rejected Crossover Skins

According to The Game Business, Epic Games wasn’t sold on integrating third-party IPs into Fortnite. The shift began when the Russo brothers, directors of Infinity War and Endgame, reached out to pitch the idea of adding Thanos to the game.

At the time, Mustard rejected the concept outright, saying he didn’t want Fortnite to include characters from other franchises. In hindsight, that may sound surprising, considering how collaboration-heavy Fortnite is today.

📞 A Five-Hour Call That Changed Everything

What started as a 30-minute pitch turned into a five-hour conversation, during which the Russo brothers convinced Mustard to reconsider the creative potential of crossovers. By the end of that call, Mustard was all-in — leading to the debut of Thanos in Fortnite in 2018 as part of a limited-time Infinity Gauntlet mode.

Eventually, Mustard left Epic and joined AGBO, the Russo brothers' creative company — a full-circle moment that reflects how pivotal the collaboration was.

🎮 Fortnite Today: A Cross-Media Phenomenon

Since Thanos, Fortnite has exploded into a universe of partnerships — featuring characters from Star Wars, Dragon Ball Z, Marvel, DC, and more. Upcoming on June 13, the game will launch a major event featuring Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and King of the Hill, in collaboration with Fox.

It’s not just Fortnite that’s evolved — this single conversation arguably influenced the entire gaming industry, with other franchises now embracing crossovers as standard practice.

What began as resistance ended up shaping one of the most defining aspects of Fortnite. Thanks to one fateful call, Fortnite didn’t just change — it became the template for pop culture integration in games.