Video Game Dances Would Have Stayed Niche Without Fortnite

There was a time when video game characters danced just for fun, looping the same moves endlessly without a care in the world. If they were comical enough or featured a solid background music track, they’d be immortalized in memes that would circulate the community for years. It was certainly a part of the culture, but much more niche than anyone remembers.

But somewhere along the way, Fortnite changed everything — rather than being a gimmick, they somehow implemented dance moves into the gameplay, familiarizing the audience with them. Now, video game dances aren’t just digital fun — they’re everywhere. From blockbuster movies to football stadiums, Fortnite’s emotes have taken over pop culture.

The Beginning Of A Decade-Defining Trend And How It Transcended Beyond Fortnite

Back in 2017, Fortnite introduced emotes — little dances and gestures your character could bust out anytime. At first, they were just a way to flex after eliminating an opponent (RIP to those who got hit with the Take the L after a tough fight). Soon, however, these emotes escaped the screen and took over real life.

Athletes started pulling out Fortnite moves after scoring goals and touchdowns. Footballers like Antoine Griezmann hit the “Take the L” after scoring, and NFL players broke out the “Floss” during celebrations. Even Shazam (2019) had Zachary Levi’s character hitting Fortnite dances, proving that video game moves had officially become part of Hollywood.

Josh Hart of the NBA was seen Flossing after a Summer League win, and Gordon Hayward openly admitted he was addicted to Fortnite. These dances weren’t just for gamers anymore — they became part of sports, entertainment, and everyday life.

In truth, it wasn’t the dance moves that were influential enough to be spotted among popular figures, but rather the game that hosted them. Between 2017 and 2019, Fortnite was THE game to have. It was such a massive cultural phenomenon that it kickstarted the careers of several influencers, many of whom are multimillionaires today. The only way to escape the game was to turn off social media for a solid three-year period.

Back to the main topic, though, players used to and continue to drop serious money to buy V-Bucks to unlock the latest emotes — if you’re gonna dance, you might as well do it in style. The in-game economy thrives on this, with players spending V-Bucks to flex on the battlefield. Some dances, like the Renegade or Electro Shuffle, are so iconic that they’ve even inspired new trends on social media.

Fortnite’s Dances Carefully Crept Into Everyday Life

I previously mentioned how Fortnite’s gigantic success was the major component to its dances, and video game dances in general, becoming mainstream. That said, I don’t want to discredit the dances’ own merits.

Let’s be honest: Fortnite dances are catchy. They’re short, repetitive, and easy to learn (well, most of them). Whether it’s the Floss, the Hype, or Orange Justice, these moves stick in your brain like a song you can’t stop humming.

What is your all-time favorite emote in Fortnite?
byu/WonderfulWarden inFortNiteBR

Plus, they tap into something deeper: social currency. Knowing the latest dance, especially if you’re a young teenager, gives you an instant connection with friends, teammates, or even strangers. It’s like an inside joke that everyone’s in on. You see it at parties, in schools, and all over TikTok – people competing to see who can hit the best moves.

There’s also something about the ridiculousness of some of these dances that makes them even more fun. Who doesn’t love busting out a weird move like The Worm or Boneless in the middle of a match? It’s about personality, confidence, and, of course, showing off.

Another aspect to consider is the conversations around it. Whether you’d argue the dance moves are cringey or fun, what matters is you’re entering a debate, giving the topic an excuse to stay relevant to this day.

A big reason why Fortnite dances were so popular back in 2017–2019 was the social controversy — if you saw an influencer doing a dance for one of their videos, there’s a good chance you’d also find a plethora of comments supporting the content creator with a flurry of comments countering them by making jokes. The point of contention was a selling factor, and if the numbers are anything to go by, it seems it worked.

Conclusion

Fortnite is still cranking out new emotes every season, and with each update, the cycle continues – game first, real world second. Emotes, in general, have gained a ton of traction since the cartoony battle-royale title released, with almost every new live-service game implementing them as microtransactions.

Still, even after all these years, Fortnite does it better than anyone, since it’s the only game to consistently pump out new dances and make headlines when doing so.

Until then, Fortnite’s dance legacy is alive and thriving. Whether it’s a footballer celebrating a goal, a TikTok trend taking over, or a random kid in a supermarket flossing like their life depends on it, video game dances have taken over the world. Everyone’s doing it and loving it!