Fortnite Removes Peacemaker’s “Peaceful Hips” Emote Amid Controversy

Epic Games has removed the Peaceful Hips emote from Fortnite following controversy over its design and perceived Nazi symbolism.

The emote, which launched just two weeks ago as part of DC’s Peacemaker Season 2 collaboration, recreated John Cena’s now-iconic dance from the show’s opening sequence.

What was meant to be a fun crossover quickly turned into a heated debate once fans pointed out that the arm movements in the dance appeared to resemble half a swastika.

The controversy intensified after Episode 6 of Peacemaker Season 2 aired, revealing an alternate dimension where Nazis won World War II, turning America into a white supremacist regime with swastikas replacing stars on the flag. Viewers spotted potential "easter eggs" throughout the season hinting at this twist, including theories that the dance emote was an intentional clue.

Some even drew comparisons to a 1940s Disney propaganda short featuring Donald Duck in Nazi attire performing a similar hip-swaying routine.

Defenders of the emote argued that the pose was more likely meant to form an “H” for Peacemaker’s name, or that the resemblance was purely coincidental. Still, the speculation was enough for Epic to act swiftly.

On September 28, the official Fortnite Status account confirmed the emote’s removal, stating: “We’re disabling the Peaceful Hips Emote in Fortnite as we inquire into our partner’s creative intentions in this collab emote. Assuming it’s not coming back, we’ll issue refunds in the next few days. Sorry folks.”

Refunds are already being rolled out automatically to players who purchased the emote with V-Bucks.

As of now, neither James Gunn nor DC has commented on whether the choreography was deliberately designed to hint at the show’s Nazi-themed twist.

This isn’t the first time Fortnite has had to backtrack on cosmetics. Previously, items like the Rue skin (which resembles Nazi-era uniforms) and Washington Redskins outfits (after the NFL team dropped its branding due to its racially insensitive slurs toward Native Americans) were removed.