Fortnite’s Simpsons Collab Breaks the “Nipple Ban” With Homer

Earlier this week, Fortnite announced the Zero Hour event, marking the end of its year-long chapter. The teaser trailer features some of the most iconic collaborations Fortnite has ever hosted, including Godzilla, King Kong, Star Wars, and Dino Megazord.

However, players were caught off guard when the trailer revealed something the battle royale has never shown before: nipples, specifically, Homer Simpson’s. The upcoming Fortnite model features a giant-sized Homer wearing only his underpants, with his trademark cartoon dots on full display.

Fortnite’s Longtime Nipple-Free Rule Ends With Simpsons Event | Image: Epic Games

Why does this matter? Well, Fortnite has famously avoided depicting nipples in any form since its launch. Although Epic Games has never publicly explained the rule, fans have speculated about it for years. Back in 2019, when Travis Scott performed his in-game concert, his shirtless skin appeared with a smooth chest—no areolas in sight. Since then, countless shirtless characters have followed the same pattern, from Kratos and Goku to John Cena, Aang, and even The Hulk.

According to community discussions, this “nipple-free rule” has extended beyond Fortnite’s core modes. Earlier this year, Philips partnered with Epic for a promotional Body Royale mode to showcase its OneBlade shaver. While Philips’ own ads featured real models with nipples, the in-game avatars were once again stripped of them. Many wondered if Epic required the edit to keep consistency.

Now, Homer seems to be breaking the rule. Some fans believe this is due to The Simpsons’ brand guidelines, which may insist on keeping the character design authentic, even if that means leaving the dots intact. Others think it’s simply because Homer’s cartoon anatomy is less realistic, making Epic more comfortable with the inclusion. There’s also speculation that this could signal a wider policy change as Fortnite enters Chapter 7 and expands collaborations, including one with Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.

It’s worth noting that other companies haven’t been shy about this detail. Nintendo famously let Mario’s nipples appear in Super Mario Odyssey, while Square Enix included them on Sora in Kingdom Hearts years ago. Compared to those, Fortnite’s stance has always felt unusually strict.

So, is Homer just the exception, or the start of a new era? We don’t have an official answer yet, but the timing is interesting. Fortnite’s Simpsons season wraps up on November 29, and if Epic is indeed loosening its rules, Homer might be remembered as the first character to break the “nipple ban.” For now, we can only laugh at how something so small has become one of the biggest talking points in Fortnite’s community this week.