In Observance of Martin Luther Day, Fortnite Cancels January 18 LTM Tournament

Before the start of every season, EPIC Games runs the Limited Time Mode (LTM) tournament in Fortnite to feature something different from the traditional competitive atmosphere. The upcoming LTM tournament has been canceled in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

MLK Day in America

January 18 in the US is a very significant day in today’s America. As a result, Epic Games took to Twitter to announce the cancelation of the Monday event. The tweet reads, “We are canceling the LTM tournament that was previously scheduled for Monday, January 18 in observance of Martin Luther King Day.” No one is sure if the scheduling was a mistake or recent events made the company reconsider. However, the company has come to the realization and decided to cancel.

Grade school students are taught about Dr. King, but it is safe to assume a lot do not know how significant he was in the healing of a divided America. His ultimate dream was cut short as he lost his life on this day in 1968. It is possible to attribute his efforts to the Civil Rights activism of the past. The truth is that his efforts then are still relevant in today’s America as there is still a fight ongoing for equality in America.

With the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement of 2020, the relevance of Dr. King’s movement was brought to light. It is for this reason, perhaps, that Fortnite decided to cancel the tournament to recognize.

Back on Track Tomorrow

Things will go back to normal the next day as the competitive schedule continues. There are some differences we should expect to see in this season’s competitive scene. Epic decided to make a few changes, one of which is the cutting off support to Fortnite’s competitive scene. The competitive scene will have players compete for low-stakes tournaments this season. The tournaments will take place in one platform separated and one cross-platform battle royale event.

It promises to be an exciting season regardless, as Fortnite will host a series of LTM tournaments. These tournaments will not follow the basic rules Fortnite players and fans are used to. As the season progresses, more tournaments and events will be introduced solely at the discretion of Epic. However, The promised tournaments and events are not what the players envisioned coming into the new season.

Professional Fortnite players have been very vocal about their displeasure with the decision. Fortnite has not had such an uneventful competitive scene in a while, and the players are enraged. A previous champion has announced his retirement from Fortnite completely because of the development.

At the time of writing, no one is sure what the future will hold for Fortnite. Also, more players will likely abandon the game. However, it is reasonable that the players leave because there is no competition to look forward to. Just as Epic made adjustments concerning Martin Luther King’s day, Fortnite faithfuls are optimistic that the same happens with the landscape of its competitive scene. Time will tell as things unfold. As of right now, nothing will happen in the Fortnite scene on Monday, January 18, 2021.