Popular Fortnite content creators are employing young women in promotional videos for custom maps, often without clarifying their roles, leading to misconceptions about who developed the content. This practice has sparked frustration among female creators who feel it undermines their visibility and opportunities. A GamesBeat report highlights how studios like Pandvil and Team Hive blur the lines between developers and spokespeople in their marketing.
User-generated content has become a cornerstone of Fortnite, Epic Games' battle royale title, with some custom maps attracting tens of thousands of players and even surpassing official modes in popularity. Creators earn substantial revenue through Epic's payment system, which rewards based on playtime and player retention—some reportedly making millions from viral maps.
However, the competitive creator economy has led to controversial marketing tactics. A GamesBeat investigation reveals that male-led studios are frequently featuring young women in social media videos and posts to advertise new maps and modes, without always disclosing whether these women are the actual developers or merely spokespeople. This has fueled assumptions among viewers that the women are the creators behind the content.
One prominent example is Pandvil, a highly followed Fortnite creator. Online posts often portray Pandvil as a young woman, complete with memes joking about fans discovering the creator's gender. Yet, sources familiar with the matter told GamesBeat that Pandvil is male, and the woman appearing in videos serves as a social media manager for the studio. Similar practices occur at Team Hive and UNC Creative, where women in promotional materials are not the map creators; Hive openly employs women for marketing roles.
While using women in game marketing is not new, the intimate, parasocial dynamics of online creator spaces amplify the issue. Female island creators expressed concerns to GamesBeat that this strategy diverts media attention, brand deals, and players away from their work, potentially harming their earnings.
Mackenzie Bell, co-founder of Alliance Studios, advocates for systemic changes rather than individual blame. “It’s less about calling out the individual creators or teams and more about addressing the overall systemic issues,” Bell told GamesBeat. She suggests Epic enhance discovery tools, ensure equitable payouts, and support diverse voices to reduce reliance on misleading tactics: “If the platform and the creator economy balance itself better, with stronger discovery tools, more equitable payouts and support for diverse voices, I think creators wouldn’t feel as pressured to lean into potentially misleading marketing just to survive.”
