TikTok star Khabane “Khaby” Lame‘s new video game character, a superhero made in his likeness, debuted in Fortnite’s Chapter 4: Season 4, aka Last Resort — and he isn’t taking it for granted.
On Aug. 25, video game fans who were anxiously awaiting the latest season, titled Last Resort, got their prayers answered when it was finally released. This season offers a heist theme with new locations, better weapons and more. One of the superhero characters fans can select to represent them while playing has the recognizable face of the Senegalese-born Italian influencer, who boasts 161.9 million followers and 2.4 billion likes and is known for his silent reactions to “life hack” videos on TikTok.
@khaby.lame My friend, maybe look around first? 🤲 #FortniteLastResort #Pubblicita #Ad ♬ suono originale – Khabane lame
In an exclusive interview with Variety, the 23-year-old discussed how the collaboration with Epic Games kicked off, the creative process and what he liked most about working with the gaming company’s team on one of his biggest achievements, especially as a gamer himself and a fan.
“I’ve been a big Fortnite fan for a long time. I started playing five years ago and sometimes I posted videos on YouTube or tagged Fortnite in stories. I was thrilled about this game,” Lame told the outlet.
“Epic noticed and reached out to me about a year ago and asked if I would be interested in collaborating with them. My reaction was pure excitement,” he continued. “Who doesn’t want to be an action hero in a video game? It sounded so fun!”
To stay authentic to himself and to make sure his deal was fair, he ensured he was to be included in the entire creative process. Lame worked closely with EG’s Fortnite employees when it came to making final decisions on all aspects of his mock-up.
“I have to say that working with the Fortnite team was great. It was important to me to have full input on my character’s outfits, look and role,” he said. “I learned a lot from the creator process. Spending the time with the team, brainstorming and sharing ideas on the outfits. … Filming and capturing my body movements for in-game play. It was a great process.”
When the young multimillionaire turned the game on and saw his creation, it was an unbelievable moment — so much so that he took a moment of silence to relish in it.
“On release day, I turned on the game and started playing. It was surreal. I just stared at my character for a good 15 minutes, to be honest. I am so blessed, and I just took some time to enjoy the game and the experience.”
The Last Resort promo video shows Lame’s virtual character on the cover of the game in a superhero outfit, composed of the colors green, yellow and orange, and doing his epic facial expressions and moves. Check it out below:
