Fortnite players who are dropping into Chapter 4 Season 3 are angry at Transformers skins for one very justifiable reason.
The Transformers franchise is finally in Fortnite after years of player requests, and it’s fair to say that the characters look incredible.
Both Optimus Prime and Optimal Primal appear as skins, with the former locked behind Tier 100 of the Season 3 Battle Pass.
What’s more, in-game we’ve got a new Cybertron Cannon Mythic weapon, and a few Easter eggs around the map referencing the world of the Autobots and Decepticons.
By all accounts, the Transformers collab is a great success, with just one drawback… Why don’t the new skins transform?
Optimus Prime Doesn’t Transform in Fortnite
Ever since the Freightliner-style Titano Mudflap truck was added to Fortnite in Chapter 2 Season 3, players have been hoping to see it one day transform into Optimus Prime.
Now, the iconic Autobot is finally here but much to the surprise of fans everwhere, he’s arrived without the ability to transform.
Of course, it would be ridiculous to expect the skin to actually become a driveable vehicle.
Besides the fact that Optimus is scaled down in size, it would make the skin extremely pay-to-win if it could suddenly transform and drive away.
But is there really a reason why Prime couldn’t become a smaller truck and drive like other Traversal Emotes in Fortnite?
VFX artist Feraalsy has already created a mock-up of the Autobot transforming in-game and we’re extremely sad that this isn’t a reality.
Why Don’t Transformers Skins Transform in Fortnite?
Some fans argue that the reasoning is likely because Optimus Prime would lose his head hitbox when in truck form, an explanation that seems plausible enough.
Others believe that perhaps Epic Games’ license to use the Transformers brand is tenuous and that the developer would surely have put transforming in the game if it was at all able to.
But ultimately, we’ll probably never find out why exactly Transformers can’t do one thing they’re known for in Fortnite.
“Transformers that don’t transform are a disappointment,” Reddit user cereal_killah_1980 writes.
Meanwhile various versions of “Autobots… walk out!”, a play on the iconic Roll Out call from Prime are surfacing across social media as fans poke fun at the situation.
What CAN the Transformers Skins Do?
Technically, the Optimus Prime skin can use the built-in Emote ‘Barrage Cannon’ to transform his arm into a gun, but that’s the extent of things.
Optimus Primal, on the other hand, can use the ‘Go Primal’ Emote to beat his chest and get down on all fours. But just like his namesake, the robot is unable to transform into his other form – a giant robotic gorilla.
“Was going to instantly snag this but not [having] a built in emote that transforms into his ape form is a pass for me,” unplugged22 comments on /r/FortniteBR. “What a wasted opportunity.”
Seeing as the DC character Beast Boy can already pull off a similar transformation with his ‘Go Ape’ Emote, it’s confusing to see Primal be unable to follow in his footsteps.
And as Fortnite subreddit member JMurker315 points out, the Kit skin from Chapter 2 Season 3 Battle Pass could pull off a truly insane transformation.
So what’s Optimus Prime’s excuse?
