Fortnite fans were wondering what Epic would do about its previous collaboration with D4vd, the musician whose cosmetics were sold in the game in 2024 and 2025, and now we have an answer.
The outcry has been due to the fact that D4vd has now been accused of the murder of a 14-year-old girl, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was discovered in the trunk of a car. This past week, additional evidence was revealed in the case against the singer, namely a large collection of child pornography. Needless to say, this is not something Fortnite players, or presumably Epic, want to be associated with.
A day ago, a few Fortnite users were starting to see that they were being granted refunds for D4vd cosmetics, a rarity for digital items, and then Epic came out with a statement this morning about how this was being handled:
“We hear the concerns. We have a bunch of changes we’re rolling out over time. The first one will be available on Tuesday, April 28th, when anyone who purchased one of these items will be able to get an immediate self-service refund. And, right now, players who request refunds for D4vd cosmetics via player support can be refunded.”
There is some pushback that the cosmetics, which include a dance emote and two jam tracks (he also had his own locker bundle), are not being removed from the game entirely, but this may be included in the “bunch of changes” that are happening, with requested refunds being step one. It does seem a bit odd that it’s not just being flat-out removed and auto-refunded as step one, but that may happen soon enough.
Obviously, with so many collaborations over the years, there have been various controversies about featured celebrities based on some scandal or another, but obviously, the grisly situation with D4vd is in an entirely different league with an accusation of capital murder and the horrific details of what happened to the victim.
David Anthony Burke, known as d4vd, was charged with the first-degree murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found decomposed in his car. (Photo by Ted Soqui – Pool/Getty Images)
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Past removals have been nothing like this. In 2020, a skin called “Rue” was removed due to looking something like a Nazi officer. Before 2020, Fortnite had the “Grim Medicine” Set that was pulled for three years over the course of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
As for D4vd, the case is ongoing, but no matter what happens, it certainly does not seem like these items are going to exist in the game at all for much longer. We’ll see what further updates Epic has on the situation, and if mass, mandatory removal and refunds are on the way.
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