Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani-Fortnite collab gets mixed reactions from fans
Shohei Ohtani is coming to Fortnite and fans have jokes.
Shohei Ohtani is headed to Fortnite. The Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar will be the first Major League Baseball player to get his own custom skin as part of a partnership between the video game franchise and MLB.
Ohtani fans will have a choice between which skins to choose from. The game features three versions of Ohtani in his Dodgers jersey — home whites, road grays and LEGO style for LEGO Fortnite — and a special Ohtani samurai version.
The league posted a video via X on Monday to celebrate the occasion and get fans excited. Naturally, the comments ranged from elation to snark, with just about everything in between.
“Sold take my money, where’s Freddie Freeman?” wrote one fan, who also asked for the 2024 World Series MVP.
But as has become standard on social media, some users can’t help but bring up controversy. In this case, the gambling scandal that surrounded Ohtani last year
“Can’t wait to pair the Shohei skin with my other gambling gear,” another fan said. “Maybe I will hit legendaries in every chest.”
Others pointed to the bizarre $700 million contract that the Dodgers signed him to, in which most of the money is deferred to after Ohtani’s retirement.
“So you can defer wins in Fortnite now?” one fan chimed in.
Some fans pointed to baseball’s infamous record for not marketing its superstars, including one who cracked a joke about the new audience that Ohtani will now have.
