Epic Games has announced that, as a result the ongoing protests against police violence and racism across the US and around the world, Fortnite's "The Device" live event, and the start of Fortnite Season 3, have been delayed.
"Recent events are a heavy reminder of ongoing injustices in society, from the denial of basic human rights to the impact of racism both overt and subtle against people of color. We're acutely aware of the pain our friends, families, team members, players, and communities are experiencing," Epic wrote.
"We believe in equality and justice, diversity and inclusion, and that these fundamentals are above politics. The team is eager to move Fortnite forward, but we need to balance the Season 3 launch with time for the team to focus on themselves, their families, and their communities."
The Device live event is now scheduled to take place on June 15, while the start of Fortnite Season 3, which had been set for June 6, will happen on June 17.
The ongoing protests, many of which have been met with violence by police and National Guard units, were sparked by the May 25 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. After three days of protests, Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, but those charges were upgraded today to second-degree murder. The three officers who witnessed Chauvin killing Floyd, but did not intervene—Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao—have also now been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
