Fortnite partners with Veterans to create ‘Remembrance Island’
Posted November 8, 2019 2:11 pm.
Last Updated November 8, 2019 4:45 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — It’s a game that has captivated millions, and now it’s being used to teach young people what Remembrance Day is all about.
The Royal Canadian Legion has teamed up with the makers of the popular online survival video game Fortnite to teach children and gamers about Canadas military history and the sacrifices men and women have made in conflicts dating all the way back to the First World War.
Remembrance Island leads players through a custom Fortnite map replete with First World War trenches, D-Day beaches, the Vimy Ridge cenotaph, a Canadian military cemetery, and environments simulating areas where Canadians fought. Players begin on the beaches of Normandy and are directed to follow a trail of poppies to discover 30 informational markers.
The trail leads to the Vimy Ridge Memorial, where players are asked to stand in a moment of silence on Nov. 11 at 11 p.m., then share images or streams using the hashtag #SaluteThePoppy.
Unlike the usual gameplay of Fortnite, there is no violence on the island.
The island can be accessed in the game’s creative mode using the island code 5053-3302-4847.
“The only objective for gamers is to discover the 30 museum-like information plaques and follow the poppies until they reach a memorial cenotaph at a central point of the island. There is no fighting, damage or weaponry on Remembrance Island,” says the Royal Canadian Legion in a release.
“It’s our hope that young Canadians will take a few moments to visit this unique environment and learn about the men and women who gave their lives to protect our freedom,” says Freeman D. Chute, senior program officer at the Royal Canadian Legion. “As time goes on, we have to find new ways to reach young people and tell the story of Canadian veterans. This is a fantastic example of how to do just that.”
