This Bossier City Native Is Going To Be A Playable Character In Fortnite

Thousands of local video game players are about to see the face of a Bossier City native inside their game. Which happens to be one of the most popular games in the world.

The sprawling digital island of Fortnite has become one of the most well known, and popular games in history. A game that popularized a model to turn the video game industry on its head. What do we mean by that? Well, unlike the games we grew up on...Fortnite is free to download and play.

What is Fortnite?

Developed by Epic Games, Fortnite is a global gaming phenomenon that has evolved far beyond its initial premise. At its core, it features a "Battle Royale" mode where 100 players fight to be the last one standing on an ever-shrinking map.

However, the Fortnite universe has expanded to include creative modes where users can build their own worlds, social hubs for virtual concerts featuring artists like Travis Scott and Ariana Grande, and a variety of other game types. With hundreds of millions of registered users, it has become one of (if not the) biggest video game of a generation).

How Many People In Shreveport and Bossier City Play Fortnite?

While Epic Games doesn't release specific geographic player data, the game's immense popularity is felt everywhere. With around 30 to 40 million daily players worldwide, and concurrent players that are often counted in the millions.

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Based on Louisiana's population, and general gaming demographics, its reasonable to estimate the number of active players in the state of Louisiana is in the tens-of-thousands. Which means for the Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area specifically, there are likely several thousand people who play the game daily.

The Bossier City Fortnite Crossover

Those thousands of local players are about to log in and see a face from their own area. There's going to be a playable character with roots in Bossier City.

Academy Award winning actor Jared Leto is expected to be immortalized as a playable character, or "skin," in Fortnite. His face will be used as part of his portrayal of Ares from the upcoming film Tron: Ares. When players get the Ares character in the game, it will look just like the Bossier City native, because they used his exact likeness.

Fortnite has become a massive digital crossover platform, partnering with blockbuster brands like Marvel, Star Wars, and the NFL to bring iconic characters into its world. These character outfits/skins are made available in two primary ways...they can be purchased directly from the in-game "Item Shop", which uses virtual currency or unlocked through progression in the seasonal "Battle Pass." That virtual currency isn't all virtual...many players pay real money to collect it in the game. So these outfits/skins usually have an actual dollars-and-cents cost to them.

With the addition of the Jared Leto "Ares" skin being the centerpiece of this promotional tie-in, players will be able to run, build, and battle in the game as the Bossier City native.

Is Jared Leto Really From Bossier City?

Though many people find it hard to believe, Jared Leto was in fact born in Bossier City on December 26, 1971. His mother, Constance Metrejon, is of Cajun ancestry, and lived in Louisiana prior to Jared's birth.

Following his parents' divorce in his early childhood, Jared and his brother Shannon left Bossier City with their mother. While his time in Louisiana was brief, it does mark the start of his life, and early childhood developments.