There are few slasher villains as iconic as Leatherface. The lead antagonist from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has been haunting horror movie fans for more than 40 years, and he can now be found plaguing Fortnite fans as well. The skin is currently live in the Item Shop, and HYPEX has shared a video showcasing Leatherface’s appearance. From the video, it seems Epic Games pulled out the stops trying to make this one big deal. The company even added a Chainsaw Dance emote, meant to evoke the final scene in the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre film. When used, Leatherface swings his chainsaw around over his head and in multiple directions!
A video from HYPEX showcasing the skin and content can be found below.
Videos by ComicBook.com
While Fortnite has not shied away from adding content from R-rated films, the developers sometimes have to tone things down a little to make them compatible with the game and its world. Notably, Leatherface looks a little less intimidating than he does in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre video game, with a more cartoonish design; his mask looks nothing like decaying skin. However, the developers have gotten pretty creative with the character’s back bling, with an option that’s pretty messed up, but also darkly hilarious. The Prized Peel back bling features Peely’s face, which has been cut off, stretched out, and stuck in a picture frame. It’s a little less gruesome since we’re talking about a banana, but it’s still kind of shocking. There’s also an Unpeel’d assault rifle wrap, that shows more of Peely’s ripped up “skin” and face. Yeesh.
So far, reception to the Texas Chain Saw Massacre content has been a bit mixed. Many fans seem disappointed with the actual skin’s design, particularly the mask itself. That was kind of to be expected, but some fans have also expressed frustration with the animations. Some are saying that they look “goofy” and a step down from the chainsaw options that accompanied Ash Williams. While the Peely options have gotten some praise, fans couldn’t help but feel like it was a missed opportunity not including a Peely face mask for Leatherface. That might have taken things a little farther than Epic Games was willing to go, but it would have been a nice inclusion.
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Leatherface is not the only slasher villain appearing in Fortnite this Halloween season. Michael Myers was also brought back to the Item Shop this weekend, after previously appearing during last year’s Fortnitemares event. The haunter of Haddonfield is a welcome return to the game, as fans had long been hoping for his return. Thankfully, Michael’s Fortnite design looks a lot closer to the films than Leatherface does, so slasher fans that aren’t sold on the Texas Chain Saw Massacre villain can always go with the Halloween antagonist instead.
How do you feel about Leatherface’s new look in Fortnite? Do you think Epic Games could have done a better job on this skin? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!