Queuing Up Fortnite

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Happy Tuesday, Future Party. Here’s one of the most fascinating land wars in recent memory. Cards Against Humanity (yes, the hilarious card game) took Elon Musk to court after his Starbase city in Texas messed up a stretch of land that the game company owns. Now, Cards Against Humanity wants to get back at Musk by planning to erect a monument on its land that, no joke, is called the “Elon Musk Is a Sad Little B*tch With No Friends Monument.” It’s even raising money to make it a reality.

Obviously, Musk is not going to take this slight without a fight. Will he X-post his way through it? Challenge all eight of the company’s co-founders to a cage match? Or will he simply erect his own meme monument at Starbase in a tit-for-tat battle that could keep sculptors employed for years? Who knows, but grab your popcorn.

Disney and Epic Games announced a new experience that will connect one of the Mouse House’s flagship rides to an adventure inside Fortnite.

The Big Picture: Disney has had some grand plans for its massive $1.5 billion Epic Games investment since it was announced back in February 2024. By introducing an experience that connects the physical and digital worlds, Disney is one step closer to realizing its dream of turning Disney+ into the entertainment hub of its entire flywheel.

Behind The Experience: The new ride/gaming integration, titled Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run | Fortnite, was announced at Disney’s annual fan event, D23.

Fun fact: the cockpit screens in Smugglers Run were created using Epic’s Unreal Engine, per THR, so it made sense that this would be the first ride/game collaboration.

Last Turn: Sean Shoptaw, EVP of Disney Games and Digital Entertainment, noted that this is the first time Disney has made an attraction that starts in the physical world and moves into a connected game. It’s a key test for new CEO Josh D’Amaro’s strategy to gamify Disney+ — he spearheaded the Epic investment.

While select Disney IP has appeared in Fortnite over the past couple of years, the company is working with Epic on an entirely new world populated by its characters. It’s a big bet on getting a new generation hooked on the franchise machine.

Next Ride: If the integration takes off, expect the wait lines at Smuggler’s Run to approach opening-week levels. Plan your trip accordingly.

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Foot Locker and Nike teamed up to remake Foot Locker’s location in LA’s Crenshaw neighborhood into a community-centric concept store called “The Crenshaw Rec.”

Why It Hits: Modern America is lacking in “third spaces” — places where people can casually meet up and socialize. Not only is the new Foot Locker store one of those spaces, but its community buy-in ensures that people will be motivated to come, hang out, and, of course, buy some products.

Between The Shelves: The Crenshaw Rec — which was made in collaboration with local talent like Supervsn designer Gavin Mathieu and the estate of the late, Grammy-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle — is opening August 22.

The store is making a concerted effort to hire Crenshaw residents as employees to ensure the spirit of the venture stays true.

Final Purchase: The Crenshaw Rec is part of a new turnaround strategy for Foot Locker called “Fast Break,” which was implemented by the company’s new owner, DICK’S Sporting Goods. Its focus is on “tighter curation, improved storytelling, and the reintroduction of apparel into underperforming locations.” DICK’S chairman Edward Stack shared on an earnings call this May that Fast Break stores that had been in operation for at least a year saw their sales grow by double digits.

It’s amazing what can happen when a community feels a little ownership of the chains in its neighborhood.

The Future: The Crenshaw Rec could be ground zero for breaking some new LA designers… designers that Foot Locker and Nike could get on their radar early in their careers.

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40.6% of you voted No, not really in yesterday’s poll: Do you have a brand mascot you genuinely love?

“Love is a strong word…”

“Seeing them convinces me not to use that product.”

“As I hovered the mouse over the top button for ‘Yes,’ I thought about which mascot that would be. I actually do not like any of them; I just acknowledge that they exist.”

“I wear company swag from the companies I’ve invested in and made money off of. I also always wear Arnold shirts as a big fitness lover and fan of Arnold.”

“When I was a kid, it was Tony the Tiger. But now I gravitate more toward sports mascots, like Staley, the Chicago Bears’ bear mascot.”

“The holiday Coca-Cola polar bears are always my downfall. I almost cry at the commercial every season.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join Poll Of The Day, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🍿 Spider-Man: Brand New Day passed $2 billion at the box office in just three weeks — the second-fastest film to hit the milestone after Avengers: Doomsday.

🎥 The Motion Picture Association successfully pressured ByteDance to restrict its Seedance model from generating videos featuring copyrighted Hollywood IP.

📺 Peacock is testing a new membership program that offers subscribers perks like discounted merch and free pizza.

🚗 Tesla is officially rolling out its steering wheel-less robotaxi service this month.

👀 A landmark trial against Meta in California could seek up to $1.4 trillion in financial damages.

🤖 Humanoid company Unitree Robotics’ IPO has minted China’s first billionaire in the sector.

🥡 Uber is partnering with Zipline to launch a drone food delivery service.

⚾ Drake’s OVO label and MLB are collabing on a capsule collection.

👟 Fugazi went ahead and released the sneakers from its canceled partnership with Vans… for only $5.