By LoffMusic Editorial Staff – August 2025
Gorillaz are about to conquer a new stage… but it won’t be Glastonbury or Coachella: it will be Fortnite. According to several leaks, the virtual band led by Damon Albarn will headline the tenth season of the Fortnite Festival, the rhythmic spin-off of the world’s most popular battle royale.
Yes, Gorillaz is coming to the gamer universe in the midst of its 25th anniversary celebration. However, not all gamers seem excited. In fact, some Instagram and X (Twitter) users confessed they had no idea who they are. Fortunately, there was no shortage of fans willing to remember that we are talking about a band that defined a generation:
“They’re a late ’90s band with amazing tunes. And also, they look amazing!”
Fortnite Festival: from Lady Gaga to animated icons
Since its launch in late 2023, Fortnite Festival has added collaborations with artists such as The Weeknd, Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga. However, many fans were calling for a greater representation of the “band” format within the game. The inclusion of Bruno Mars as a headliner for season 9, while celebrated by some, sparked that debate. With the arrival of Gorillaz, Epic Games seems to have listened.
Starting August 26, players will be able to access skins of the four band members (2-D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel) and play a selection of their anthems such as “Feel Good Inc.”, “Clint Eastwood” or “DARE” in the form of Jam Tracks.
Who are Gorillaz?
For the younger generation, Gorillaz is not just a band, but a multimedia experiment that revolutionized music in the internet age. Created in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, the group mixed hip hop, electronica, dub, alternative rock and animation long before all that became fashionable.
During these 25 years, they have released albums that are already contemporary classics such as Demon Days, Plastic Beach or Humanz, always reinventing themselves while remaining themselves. Their “virtual band” concept was pioneering in exploring digital worlds, so their landing in Fortnite is more of a homecoming than a surprise.
🏟️ House of Kong and new tracks
Gorillaz is celebrating this anniversary with a series of special concerts in London (Copper Box Arena), where they will play their first three albums in full and offer a “surprise night” that, according to Albarn, could include new material.
In addition, the immersive House of Kong exhibition is open in London, an interactive experience where fans can experience the band’s graphic and sonic universe first-hand.
All of this could be in anticipation of the upcoming release of their announced new studio album, although no date has been confirmed yet.
Old rockers in gamer land
It’s not the first time Albarn and company have faced a generationally distant audience. Last year, Blur played Coachella before Tyler, The Creator and were met with some indifference from the audience. “They’re never going to see us again, so they might as well just sing along,” Damon said in the middle of the show. Fellow bandmate Graham Coxon was more direct in an interview:
“Sometimes they look at you like you’re a washed-up old man. But hey, the music stays.”
A new beginning for Gorillaz?
The alliance with Fortnite not only renews Gorillaz’ connection with new generations, but also opens the door to an era where virtual and musical worlds merge naturally. And if there is a band that has always known how to move between the digital and the emotional, it is this one.
As one excited fan wrote in X:
“This could be the best Fortnite Festival season yet.”
