Fortnite Under Fire for Dance Emote, Rapper 2 Milly Wants Legal Action

Advertisement
By Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 19 November 2018 12:45 IST
Highlights
  • ‘Milly Rock’ added to Fortnite as ‘Swipe It’ earlier this year
  • 2 Milly not okay with the fact that it was available for purchase
  • Fortnite has generated over a billion dollars in microtransactions

American rapper 2 Milly wishes to pursue legal action against Fortnite, for stealing and profiting off his signature dance move, ‘Milly Rock', which brought viral fame for the Brooklyn-based artist and his crew over three years ago. The developers at Epic Games routinely lift from popular culture for its dance emotes — available via in-app purchases for Rs. 400 or $5 — and the ‘Milly Rock' was renamed as ‘Swipe It' for the battle royale game's fifth season earlier this year.

“They actually sell that particular move. It's for purchase,” 2 Milly told CBS News. “That's when I really was like, ‘Oh nah, this can't go on too long.'” It won't be easy for 2 Milly to make a legal case out of it though, an entertainment lawyer told CBS News, since there isn't a “body of case law” in regard to “choreographic works” in the US.

“I don't even want to bash them for all the millions,” 2 Milly added. “Know what I am saying? It's not really like that. I just feel like I have to protect what's mine.”

Advertisement

This saga has been going on since July, in one form or another. The ‘Swipe It' dance emote is one of several in Fortnite that has been inspired by the work of African-American artists. Noting the rise in popularity and the revenue generated for Epic Games, Grammy-winning artist Chance the Rapper tweeted in July:

Advertisement

“Fortnite should put the actual rap songs behind the dances that make so much money as Emotes. Black creatives created and popularized these dances but never monetized them. Imagine the money people are spending on these Emotes being shared with the artists that made them.”

A still of the 'Swipe It' dance emote in Fortnite

In a statement to Kotaku then, 2 Milly added: “I do feel like Chance was very correct in what he said and that if you would have incorporated the song along with the dance title ‘Milly Rock' in Fortnite, instead of not using the record and changing the name to the ‘Swipe it' stealing away from my artwork, then I'd might be ok with it if we worked out some type of agreement.”

“I do take it as a very big deal. I just wish [Epic Games] would have reached out with a payout and a contract, being that I am solely the creator of the dance and song ‘Milly Rock'. I don't feel it's appropriate that my art, which is a big part of culture, is basically stolen.”

Advertisement

Given Fortnite is free-to-play, the emotes — as with other in-app purchases — are central to the game's monetisation structure. Epic Games has grossed over a billion dollars in microtransactions alone, according to reports.


If you're a fan of video games, check out Transition, Gadgets 360's gaming podcast. You can listen to it via Apple Podcasts or RSS, or just listen to this week's episode by hitting the play button below.

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Fortnite, Epic Games
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Free Online Games: Subway Surfers, Stick Merge, Hill Climb and More Games
  1. Ryugu Samples Reveal Ancient Water Flow on Asteroid for a Billion Years
  2. Scientists Create Most Detailed Radio Map of Early Universe Using MWA
  3. Mayor of Kingstown Season 4 OTT Release: Know When, Where to Watch Jeremy Renner's Crime Drama
  4. Our Fault Is Streaming Now: Know All About This Gabriel Guevara and Nicole Wallace Starrer
  5. The Conjuring: Last Rites Is Now Streaming Online: Know Where to Watch the Latest Installment from the Horror Franchise
  6. Delhi Crime Season 3 OTT Release: Know When to Watch This Shefali Shah Thriller Series
  7. Vast Space to Launch Haven-1, the World’s First Private Space Station in 2026
  8. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Soars to 424PPM, Marking Biggest Yearly Jump Ever
  9. Black Hole Tears Star Apart, Sends Out Powerful Flares Six Months Later
  10. Shakthi Thirumagan OTT Release: When, Where to Watch Vijay Antony-Starrer Action Thriller Online?
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.