Fortnite Hatsune Miku crossover coming, leaks suggest

Fans celebrate potential addition of virtual popstar.

Fortnite will welcome Japanese virtual pop megastar Hatsune Miku in 2025, leaks suggest.

The latest crossover coming to Epic Games' evergreen battle royale is another first for the game - this time, of a singer who doesn't really exist in real life.

For the uninitiated, Hatsune Miku is a synthesised voice matched with a turquoise-haired teenage popstar avatar. And yet, despite not existing IRL, Hatsune Miku is something of a cultural icon: the voice of hundreds of thousands of songs, star of virtual concerts, and playable in several video games.

Hatsune Miku's arrival in Fortnite seems all but assured, having been reported by reliable Fortnite leakers Shiina and FNBRintel. Her inclusion now would also fit well with Fortnite's new Chapter 6 battle royale home, which is based on Japan.

Originally launched in 2017, the Hatsune Miku "Vocaloid" software is based on samples from a real-world actress - anime and video game voice artist Saki Fujita. But Hatsune Miku's anime-inspired appearance and concept is one of an "android diva" from a "near-future world where songs are lost", according to creator Crypton Future Media.

Hatsune Miku is widely known throughout Japan, and has appeared in marketing for numerous products and sports teams. In the world of video games, she is the star of Sega's Hatsune Miku: Project Diva rhythm game series, and has made guest appearances in a variety of titles, including Persona 4: Dancing All Night, Just Dance, Space Channel 5 VR.

Could Epic Games be planning a Fortnite virtual concert for Hatsune Miku, to follow up last month's Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice and Juice WRLD extravaganza? We'll have to wait and see.

Closer to now, Fortnite is set to launch its Valorant and Overwatch-inspired five-on-five team shooter mode Ballistic this week in early access.