'Fortnite' Lawsuit 2019: Jaylen Brantley, Jared Nickens Suing Epic For Dance

Over the last few months, Epic Games has faced its fair share of lawsuits due to the numerous dances injected into “Fortnite.” Two of the most notable lawsuits were issued by actor Alfonso Ribeiro over “The Carlton” and Russell Horning, also known as the “Backpack Kid,” over the “Floss” dances. Now, another lawsuit has been filed against Epic Games over yet another popular dance in the game.

Jaylen Brantley and Jared Nickens, two former members of the University of Maryland basketball team, are suing Epic Games over the use of the “Running Man” dance, according to The Verge. The pair is credited with popularizing the “Running Man Challenge,” which became a viral sensation in 2016. The two claim that since they popularized it, Epic Games should have gotten permission from the pair to use the dance in-game.

However, there could be an issue of ownership claims as it relates to Brantley and Nickens. While the two are credited for popularizing it, a 2016 article from The Fader traced the dance back to the New Jersey club scene where the challenge was started by high schoolers Kevin Vincent and Jerry Hall.

It may not help that these dances and emotes have also found themselves in other games as well. “Destiny” and “Destiny 2” have a catalog of the same dances attainable in similar loot boxes to “Fortnite,” however, no lawsuits were ever issued to Bungie or Activision.