This week, Fortnite players got their first glimpse at something never seen in the game before: nipples. Specifically, Homer Simpsons' nipples. And big ones too, at that.

Yes, an upcoming Fortnite model will feature a giant-sized version of Homer wearing just his underpants, with everything else (including his nipples) on show. Why is this such a big deal to Fortnite's faithful? Well, it's because the game has refused to depict any kind of areola previously.

While never publicly stated, Fortnite developer Epic Games has seemingly mandated that its battle royale should be nipple-less. The apparent rule was first discussed among fans all the way back in 2019, when the game's high-profile Travis Scott concert (and his purchasable in-game skin) both showed the rapper with a smooth, nip-free chest.

Since then, numerous Fortnite-original characters and a whole parade of other famous figures have appeared in the game shirtless, but also nipple-less. A non-exhaustive list includes God of War's Kratos, Avatar: The Last Airbender's Aang, WWE's John Cena, Dragonball Z's Goku, and Marvel superheroes such as Drax and The Hulk.

IGN has often asked Epic Games if it would like to comment on the lack of nipples in Fortnite, but has never received an official, on-the-record response.

Curiously, we've noted that Fortnite's nipple-free decree also extends to Fortnite's third-party modes. Earlier this year, Philips launched Body Royale, a promotional mode designed to highlight its latest OneBlade shaver. On Philips' website, photos for the product depict its use across all types of body hair, by male models who definitely have nipples in real life.

But within Fortnite, in Body Royale, the action plays out against the backdrop of an in-game model who is distinctly nipple-less. Did Philips have to remove the nipples at Epic Games' request, in order to get this experience in the game? (Philips has also not responded to IGN's requests for comment.)

Now, Homer Simpson looks set to change all of that. But why? Is there something about Homer's design that allows his nipples — nothing more than a pair of black dots — on his animated body? It seems unlikely — other cel-shaded characters have still been nipple-less before.

Does The Simpsons come with its own set of brand rules that require nipples and supercede Epic Games' own? Or perhaps there's something specific here about the fact that nearly-naked Homer's in-game appearance has to match up with the same design shown in The Simpsons' accompanying Fortnite crossover Disney+ shorts.

Alternatively, fans say, this could all point to something of a wider policy change within Epic Games. As Fortnite shifts to its new Chapter Seven era and collaborates with Quentin Tarantino, perhaps now is the time to ease this particular restriction. After nipples, what's next? If Epic Games ever acknowledges this, we'll let you know.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social