Ex-Fortnite Developer Reveals Canceled Stranger Things Point of Interest Modeled on Netflix Show’s Laboratory

Fortnite was close to including a Hawkins National Laboratory POI from Stranger Things on its map. This is a representation of what it would have looked like.

At one point, the Demogorgon and Chief Hopper skins from the Stranger Things collaboration in Fortnite were highly coveted and considered among the rarest cosmetic items in the game.

Nevertheless, that is not the sole unexpected occurrence.

Just when players believed they had seen all the Stranger Things content in the game, a concept image of an unpublished Hawkins National Laboratory POI was recently shared on Artstation by Pat Jones, a former Senior Environment Artist at Epic Games. This in-game location, inspired by the building from the popular TV series, boasts multiple stories and intricate details.

According to ShiinaBR, a prominent leaker in the Fortnite community, there was nearly a collaboration between Fortnite and Stranger Things in Chapter 1. However, Epic Games ultimately did not release it. Recently, ShiinaBR shared an official image of a Hawkins National Laboratory point of interest (POI) that had never been revealed before.

We almost got a Fortnite X Stranger Things POI back in Chapter 1, but Epic Games never released it… 😭This is an official image of a Hawkins National Laboratory POI which was never published before!(via @NotPaloleaks & @blortzen, published by Pat Jones on ArtStation!) pic.twitter.com/9OnNmC6HlE

— China (@ChinaBR) June 24, 2024

The reason for removing this entire POI from Battle Royale remains a mystery. However, after seeing this image, numerous players expressed their desire for it to have been included in Fortnite.

“One user expressed their admiration for the idea, but also expressed disappointment that it never came to fruition. They pondered where such a structure would have been located on a 1:9 scale map, as there were no grassy areas available at the time. The user speculated that it could have potentially replaced the previously existing location known as Salty.”

Another person exclaimed passionately, “What? This is such a missed opportunity! Oh my God!”

Despite this, a user noted that the concept appears to have been designed for Save the World rather than Battle Royale because of the “exclusive props.”

The possibility of Collabs returning to Fortnite or receiving a second wave is not out of the question. Only time will tell if there will be additional Stranger Things content in the future.