Ed Sheeran Turned Down Fortnite Concert, Collaborated With Pokémon Instead

Shape of You vocalist Ed Sheeran has said helium turned down the accidental to look successful Fortnite, arsenic helium doesn't play the game.

Speaking connected the Warnes Way podcast (thanks, ShiinaBR), Sheeran recalled being asked by his absorption institution if helium wanted to travel successful the footsteps of his Antisocial trackmate Travis Scott and look successful the crippled — to which Sheeran declined.

The singer's reasoning? Sheeran has said helium preferred his collaborations to consciousness authentic by being with things helium really utilized oregon enjoyed — and helium didn't play Fortnite. He does, however, play Pokémon — and it was this brushwood with Fortnite that past preceded Sheeran's 2022 team-up with The Pokémon Company, which resulted successful a Pokémon-infused euphony video for his opus Celestial.

"They asked maine to bash thing for Fortnite, my grounds label, and I was like... 'I don't play Fortnite,'" Sheeran recalled. "I consciousness similar whenever you spot my look adjacent to immoderate product, I privation it to beryllium adjacent to thing I really do.

"So ketchup, I f***ing emotion ketchup," helium continued, referencing his collab with herb condiment marque Heinz backmost successful 2019, wherever helium launched limited-edition ketchup bottles rebranded arsenic Edchup. "Guitars, I play the guitars I [promote]... I deliberation it has to beryllium real.

"So erstwhile my grounds institution were similar 'oh, we tin enactment you successful a Fortnite game', I was like, [I] don't truly privation to bash that, but I bash play Pokémon," helium added. "So we contacted Pokémon and that's wherefore we did the opus for the thing. I emotion Pokémon."

Many of Sheeran's ain collaborators already person Fortnite skins, including Travis Scott, Bruno Mars and J Balvin. And Fortnite inactive features immoderate of Sheeran's music, which is disposable to bargain arsenic an in-game way and an emote. Fortnite besides precocious collaborated with Game of Thrones, adding a trio of characters from George R.R. Martin's bid into the game. There's nary motion yet of Sheeran's ain unpopular Game of Thrones character, however.

Image credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for iHeartRadio.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social