Apex Legends players are in an uproar over the look of the upcoming legend, Conduit, and are claiming the character’s design “looks too much like a Fortnite clone.”
No one batted an eye at Conduit’s initial design on the official website, with its typical two-dimensional, anime-esque style players have come to expect in splash art. However, things changed when players caught sight of what seemed to be a three-dimensional version of the new character on the loading screen in the Apex: Ignite Launch Trailer on YouTube.
Conduit’s cartoonish design in the artwork caught the eye immediately and players were quick to voice their opinions in response, with the majority pointing out how much the design looked like a skin or character in Fortnite.
“It’s too smooth and clay-looking,” said one Apex player. “I was getting really hyped for this new character but this completely killed it. WTF is this? If I wanted to play Fortnite, I’d already be playing Fortnite,” added another soon after.
The backlash didn’t stop there. One player highlighted the shift from Apex’s roots in the Titanfall universe—a hyper-futuristic war with mechs—to something a little closer to Epic Games’ mega sensation, Fortnite. Others claimed Conduit’s design is just another step toward their beloved battle royale drifting closer to Fortnite than ever before.
A small group of players think the backlash against Conduit is happening too fast. But most argue the problem isn’t really about Conduit as a character at all. What they’re upset about is the whole look of Conduit feeling way too much like it’s copying Fortnite, which is a different issue entirely.
The trailer set to drop on Oct. 24 will give players a closer look at Conduit in action. Then, the real deal comes on Oct. 30, when Conduit officially joins the Apex Games as the latest playable Apex character. That’s when players will see if it does look like a Fortnite character or if everyone got worked up over a single splash art image.
