Fortnite's Chappell Roan reveal is the best gaming trailer of 2026

1 week ago 3

Published Feb 5, 2026, 11:51 AM EST

Epic Games' trailer for Fortnite Festival season 13 didn't have to go this hard

Image: Epic Games

I was already excited about the Midwest Princess strapping into Fortnite's Battle Bus, but the unreal trailer Epic Games dropped on Thursday to mark the occasion amped up my hype even higher. The animation isn't just a candidate for the best Fortnite trailer ever made — it might genuinely be one of the most astounding gaming trailers I've had the pleasure of viewing.

The trailer, which shows off the pop powerhouse's iconic fantasy VMA costume, lasts just a minute. Those 60 seconds are imbued with a gorgeous sense of artistry that is all too rare to find in a video game trailer. Despite its length, the Chappell Roan trailer switches between three different animation styles: stop-motion animation, an embroidered tapestry look, and slick anime visuals. All of these aesthetics come together in a way that makes you feel like you're descending into a classic Grimm fairy tale.

For the first half of it, you'd be forgiven for watching and not even realizing this is related to Fortnite at all. Chappell is shown slaying a handful of otherworldly creatures that don't appear in the battle royale. Chappell goes on to kill a menacing donkey-like monster that is an obvious callback to Fortnite's purple piñata, but even this inclusion is subtle.

Eventually, Chappell breaks through that reality and lands on the Fortnite island, where she commands the crowd as if she were actually leading everyone into the Pink Pony Club. Once the scenery shifts to a concert full of cheering fans, it almost feels like a spell has been broken. Oh. This is as a promo for Fortnite, not an alternate music video for one of Chappell Roan's biggest songs.

When Chappell debuted this look in 2024, fans cracked jokes about how the outfit made the vocalist look like she belonged in Dark Souls — or at least a video game of some sort. This Fortnite trailer, alongside Chappell's revealing Grammy 2026 outfit, vindicates those comparisons.

Epic Games has not released details regarding the artist(s) responsible for the excellent animation, but Polygon has inquired about it — something this good deserves proper recognition. For now, I'll be adding some V-Bucks to my Fortnite account.

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