Junji Ito’s Maniac Haunted House Spooks Its Way to Fortnite
If you’re a fan of Junji Ito’s works and Fortnite, this Creative Map might be worth looking at.
It’s not even Halloween yet, and we’re already getting spooky vibes from Fortnite. My Hero Academia and Dragon Ball super are the latest anime franchises to hit the battle royale, and in a weird twist of events, we’ve now got another anime series arriving in the game. The horrors of Junji Ito’s works are now on the island.
Neighbor Metaverse Studios have created a Junji Ito virtual attraction that players can access in Fortnite’s Creative Mode. The studio uses it to promote the Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre anime series. Whether you’re a fan of Junji Ito’s works, the Fortnite Item Shop, or both, you can visit the map in-game and play around with the five customized maps. These maps are inspired by the stories covered in the show.
How Do I Access the Island?
Players with Fortnite accounts that want to visit this terrifying horror house can input the following map code in Fortnite’s menu:
- 9800-8851-4190
If you’re a bit scared of going into the map head first without knowing what to expect, Neighbor Metaverse Studios released a trailer on YouTube. That should give you an idea of the crossover that’ll allow you to see some of Ito’s creepiest moments hit the world of Fortnite.
The attraction includes a rain-blasted haunted house, an urban scene, and a dilapidated school building. Suppose you’re already familiar with Junji Ito’s works. In that case, you might’ve noticed that the maps are inspired by his short stories, including Hanging Balloons, Soichi’s Lapdog, Tomie’s Photography, Headless Sculpture, and Tombstone Town.
Walking around the haunted house can certainly jolt a jumpscare or two, but by far, the creepiest part of the island has got to be the ominous floating heads. The way they look at you (based on the trailer) is just spine-tingling. Be sure to get your crying-in-fear emote ready once you visit the area.
A Few Tidbits, Perhaps?
If you’re expecting any easter eggs or elements of the show littered around the regular island you drop in, there sadly won’t be any. That’s because some of the stuff from Junji Ito’s Maniac Haunted House isn’t exactly for kids playing the battle royale. Sure, we’ve got the likes of Alien’s Xenomorph and Predator added to the main game, but you can’t deny that most, if not all, of Junji Ito’s works are the stuff of nightmares.
Who Are Neighbor Metaverse Studios?
As we’ve said previously, the stages were created by Neighbor Metaverse Studios, but who exactly are they? Well, they’re a firm that uses Fortnite’s Creative Mode to create one-off, customized spaces for clients. In this case, the client was trying to advertise the Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre series.
Neighbor Metaverse Studios also created other pieces, such as the fantasy-themed Mirrorland Metaverse and a replica of Shibuya’s famous scramble crossing.
An Official Collaboration—Not
The created map in Fortnite dedicated to the latest Junji Ito animated series was initially promoted by a Twitter account that does by the name “Netflix Anime.” The name suggests that the account is focused on the anime aspect of Netflix, but that’s not the case.
According to Sportskeeda, the said account does have a verified status (the check mark) on Twitter, but it’s not an official account run by Netflix—it’s only a fan page for all the anime shows on the platform. Because of the check mark, many players thought that Fortnite that this is an official collaboration between the battle royale and Netflix.
Although wishful thinking and speculation point towards the possibility of a collaboration, the creator of the Creative Map—Neighbor Metaverse Studios—has already stated the exact opposite. If you look at one of the pictures shared by Netflix Anime, there’s a disclaimer in fine print that reads, “This is not sponsored, administered, or endorsed by Epic Games.” It’s safe to say that we’ve all been had. The Creative Map is a terrific way to promote the show, but nothing about it is official.
The Map is Still Worth Visiting
Even if the map isn’t official, it’s still worth visiting using your Fortnite account. Since it has XP enabled, you can play in it while earning experience points. Plus, everything about it is interesting; Junji Ito’s works can be pretty graphic, and we’re glad to say that Neighbor has successfully captured its essence using Fortnite’s style.
