Following on from recent leaks suggesting Fortnite was on the cusp of delivering some new content inspired by Among Us, Epic Games delivered exactly that earlier this week. Imposters is a standalone 10-player mode in the battle that tasks eight Agents working for the Imagined Order with rooting out two of their number, whose sole aim is to disrupt maintenance of The Bridge via subterfuge and sabotage.
While there naturally exist some subtle differences between the two, Fortnite‘s adaptation of developer InnerSloth’s winning social deduction gameplay is largely identical. Naturally, then, you’d be forgiven for thinking the end result was a collaboration between the two parties, but it has subsequently emerged that Epic Games had zero contact with the Among Us team, prompting many members of the latter to voice their disappointment on social media.
it would've been really, really cool to collab haha.
just sad indie hours rn.— Victoria Tran
(@TheVTran) August 17, 2021
Anyway – just feeling pretty bummed today.
Everything in the world was already feeling insurmountable, so this was just another fun reminder of how tiny we all really are.— Adriel Wallick (@MsMinotaur) August 17, 2021
We didn't patent the Among Us mechanics. I don't think that leads to a healthy game industry. Is it really that hard to put 10% more effort into putting your own spin on it though?
— Puff (@PuffballsUnited) August 17, 2021
— Gary Porter (@supergarydeluxe) August 17, 2021
It's okay tho they flipped electrical and medbay and connected security to the cafeteria. pic.twitter.com/XXVsJPpiXn
— Gary Porter (@supergarydeluxe) August 17, 2021
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The crux of the issue, it seems, is the studio’s collective belief that Epic has snubbed InnerSloth, opting to essentially rip off the popular indie without offering any sort of recognition whatsoever. Though one of the Among Us team’s co-founders admits that none of the mechanics present in Among Us were ever patented due to the belief that such actions don’t lead to a healthy industry, a sentiment nevertheless persists that Epic should, and could have, made a better attempt to put its own spin on the feature.
Likewise, programmer Gary Porter points out the obvious similarities between the original Among Us map Skeld and Imposter’s Loop Control, with only slight alterations to the layout. While this doesn’t constitute plagiarism, it certainly calls into question whether Fortnite‘s creator has any intention whatsoever of recognizing the obvious contribution Among Us has made (albeit without input) to one of the world’s most successful entertainment products.
