Fortnite Uses Android Sonic So He Can Hold Guns

Fortnite is using an android version of Sonic so the character can use guns without changing the rules Sega keeps for the real Sonic.

Why Fortnite Got Android Sonic

Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka says Epic Games approached Sega about bringing Sonic to Fortnite more than two years ago. The problem was simple: Sonic is not supposed to use guns, while Fortnite is built around weapon-based combat.

Sega and Epic worked around that rule by creating Android Sonic. Iizuka explained that the android version can hold a gun and fit into Fortnite’s normal gameplay without making the real Sonic do something Sonic Team does not want for the character.

VGC also reports that Android Sonic is part of Fortnite’s current video game crossover season, which includes other guest characters from major game series.

It Is Still Sonic, Just With a Loophole

The character looks and plays as Sonic in Fortnite, but Sega’s explanation makes the distinction official: the version carrying weapons is Android Sonic, not the regular Sonic.

Fortnite has used plenty of unusual crossover rules before. Eventide Gaming recently covered the Fortnite and Overwatch crossover, which also brought outside characters directly into Fortnite’s gameplay.

For Sonic fans, the practical answer is now clear. Sega did not change its rule for Sonic. Fortnite got a separate android version that can follow Fortnite’s rules instead.

Credit: Nintendo Life, VGC