The recent addition of a Black Panther statue in Fortnite is the result of a "previously-planned narrative" according to Epic Games.
Following the recent passing of Chadwick Boseman, who played King T'Challa in the Black Panther film, the arrival of a statue in Fortnite had lead to assumptions that it was added in as a tribute to the actor.
However, speaking to Kotaku, an Epic Games spokesperson said: "As with the rest of the world, we were greatly saddened to learn of the passing of actor Chadwick Boseman. The Black Panther monument arrived this morning as part of a previously-planned narrative for the new Chapter 2 - Season 4 season."
You can check out what the statue looks like down below.
The Panther Monument LEAKED in-game pic.twitter.com/uEFkzmAvzQSeptember 1, 2020
Dubbed Panther's Prowl, to find the new monument, you'll want to head towards west of Misty Meadows, where the point of interest has spawned in the past. Plus, some rifts found on the map will also teleport you to it. Once you're there, you'll be able to hear new background music, as well as gaze upon one pretty big monument to Black Panther.
It's maybe not a big surprise that Epic had planned this in advance, after all, Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 4, is currently in the middle of the Nexus War, as the Avengers face off against Galactus. That's seen plenty of Marvel characters and easter eggs being found all across Fortnite's current map, and with the Fortnite battle pass promising even more Marvel goodies, we should probably expect even more Marvel POIs to crop up.
Avengers actors have been paying tribute to Chadwick Boseman since news of his passing was announced.
