The pandemic has fast-tracked the adoption of digital experiences and has brought more people into the metaverse than ever before — including, most recently, pop superstar Ariana Grande. Grande partnered with Fortnite for a unique in-game experience last weekend, billed as “a musical journey unlike any other.”
She can now be added to the list of major artists who have dipped their toes into the digital world to create new experiences for fans, including Travis Scott, Lil Nas X, and Zara Larsson. Fortnite initially announced the Rift Tour without mentioning the headliner, which it kept a mystery until a few days before the event.
The show ran five times over three days and had millions of viewers from around the world. It also included exclusive in-game outfits as well as quests and rewards before, during, and after the event to keep players in the world as long as possible. The post-tour quests will be available for players to complete until August 23rd. Ariana Grande-themed items are now also available in Fortnite’s Item Shop that players can acquire.
One noteworthy feature of this Fortnite performance, like Travis Scott’s last year, is that it was pre-recorded and streamed in a simulive format — players had to log on at designated show times to be able to experience the show, but there were no live vocals.
As such, it was not so much a virtual concert as an immersive musical experience. The focus for the tour was on creating engaging environments and graphics, which it definitely pulled off. That said, it would be interesting to see Fortnite experiment with truly live performances in the future.
If the FAQ section on the Rift Tour site is any indication (one of the questions is “I'm interested in future musical experiences in Fortnite. What platforms is Fortnite available on?) this certainly won’t be the last major music event on the gaming platform as artists continue to adapt to the times and look for new experiences to give to fans.