Harris campaign’s gun-free Fortnite map sees less than 400 players

Jack Aylmer

THIS ELECTION CYCLE THERE’S AN ADDED EMPHASIS ON SECURING THE ‘GAMER’ VOTE.

WE SAW AN EXAMPLE OF THAT THIS WEEK, WITH THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN LAUNCHING THEIR OWN ‘MAP’ ON THE HUGELY POPULAR GAME ‘FORTNITE’.

CALLED ‘FREEDOM TOWN, USA’ – IT RUNS IN CONTRAST TO WHAT MOST EXPECT DURING A MATCH ON FORTNITE – IN THAT – THERE ARE NO GUNS.

SOMETHING DRAWING BOTH PRAISE AND CRITICISM ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA.

WHILE THE MOVE WAS AN EFFORT TO ENGAGE YOUNG VOTERS – RECENT REPORTING SHOWS THE MAP HAS SEEN A PEAK OF LESS THAN 400 USERS.

WHICH IS A LONG WAY FROM THE MORE THAN 323-THOUSAND PLAYING ON MORE POPULAR MAPS LIKE RANKED RELOAD.

A TYPICAL GAME OF FORTNITE INVOLVING A BATTLE ROYAL WHERE PLAYERS TARGET EACH OTHER UNTIL ONLY ONE REMAINS.

INSTEAD OF WEAPONRY, THE HARRIS-WALZ MAP HAS PLAYERS COLLECTING SUPPLIES, BUILDING STRUCTURES, AND EVEN HUNTING DOWN CAMPAIGN POSTERS.

THE MOVE IS BEING MET WITH MIXED REACTIONS.

WHILE SOME ARE CRITICAL OF THE REMOVAL OF WEAPONS – OTHERS LIKE GAMING CRITIC FOR THE WASHINGTON POST CALLED THE MAP ‘MORE THOUGHTFULLY DESIGNED THAN YOU’D EXPECT’

THIS EFFORT TO ENGAGE THE ‘GAMING’ VOTE SAW EXTRA EMPHASIS THIS YEAR.

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP RECENTLY APPEARED ON A LIVESTREAM WITH INFLUENCER ADIN ROSS, REACHING AN AUDIENCE OF MORE THAN HALF A MILLION.

WHILE THE IMPACT OF THE NEW HARRIS MAP REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

FORTNITE IS A GOOD PLACE TO SEND A MESSAGE – THE GAME HAS OVER FOUR-HUNDRED-MILLION REGISTERED PLAYERS, MOSTLY BETWEEN AGES 16 AND 24.

I’M JACK AYLMER AND FOR MORE OF OUR ELECTION COVERAGE DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.