Sonic’s Fortnite Version Is an Android, So He Can Fire Guns
Takashi Iizuka also said the alternate version runs and swims like other Fortnite characters, while Shadow and Knuckles use the same workaround.
Sonic can fire guns in Fortnite because the character in Epic’s battle royale is not the real blue blur. Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka explained that the team created an android version of Sonic to make the crossover fit Fortnite’s weapon-based gameplay.
Sega has previously treated gun use as something Sonic should never do. Iizuka had also explained that Shadow the Hedgehog was created partly because Sonic himself was not supposed to hold a gun, which made Fortnite’s usual combat systems a difficult match for the character.
In a new IGN interview, Iizuka said Epic Games first approached Sonic Team more than two years ago about bringing Sonic into Fortnite. The teams eventually used creative license to introduce “Android Sonic,” giving the character enough distance from the established version to participate in the battle royale’s standard gameplay.
That distinction covers more than weapons. Android Sonic moves at the same speed as other Fortnite characters instead of using Sonic’s trademark extreme speed. He can also swim on the surface of the water, something the real Sonic cannot do. The android concept may even explain why the Fortnite model has longer legs than usual, since the character had to fit the game’s standard proportions.
Sonic is the first character players unlock in the current Chapter 7 Season 4: Override season, which brings together characters from several game series. Our Override crossover coverage details the wider lineup, including Green Hill Zone-inspired content and Sonic’s Spin Dash Mythic item.
Shadow and Knuckles are also available through the Fortnite store, and Iizuka confirmed that these versions are androids as well. The explanation lets all three characters use Fortnite’s combat and movement rules without changing the long-standing idea that the real Sonic does not use guns.
The Chapter 7 Season 4: Override trailer shows the crossover’s broader direction, with Sonic sharing the season alongside other gaming characters.
Does Android Sonic make the crossover’s gunplay easier to accept? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, or Telegram.
Fortnite
Developed by Epic Games
Fortnite is a free-to-play online game where you and your friends fight to be the last one standing in Battle Royale, join forces to make your own Creative games, or catch a live show at Party Royale.
- Genre Shooter, Simulator
- Platforms Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch 2, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, PlayStation 5, Mac, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Perspective Third person
- Modes Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative, Split screen, Battle Royale
- Release June 29, 2020
- Publisher Epic Games
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Age Rating
