This weekend, I headed to one in every of my favourite locations on Earth: A pop-up Halloween retailer. It’s a convention that my spouse and I each love. This yr, we needed to re-locate the closest Spirit because it had moved into a brand new carcass of a previous retailer. I believe it used to promote sneakers and sports activities gear. Now it sells Halloween costumes and decorations. And a surprising quantity of what’s on the market is Fortnite-related.

This weekend’s go to to the closest Spirit Halloween—the biggest Halloween costume retailer chain within the nation—was not my first go to this yr. I are inclined to cease by at the least two or thrice all through the spooky season to see what new stuff is accessible, in addition to to look at children timidly stroll as much as massive animatronic monsters arrange in the midst of the shop. (The leaping spider this yr is a favourite because it scares the shit out of youngsters and fogeys alike!)

But this yr I had a mission: To doc what video game-related costumes have been accessible for Halloween 2022.

Of course, you’ll be able to nonetheless discover all of the stuff you’d possible anticipate. Rounding a nook, I found an entire part devoted to Mario and all his varied associates and enemies. This space of the shop was largely picked over, although there have been a number of Luigi masks left for all you participant twos on the market.

Not distant, I noticed some Zelda-related outfits and gadgets. This part was additionally a bit picked over. My native retailer didn’t have any Pokémon costumes or gear on the market, however these gadgets can be found on Spirit’s web site.

However, in 2022, it appears very clear which online game model is dominating Halloween, and it ain’t Call of Duty or Minecraft. It’s the free-to-play, multiplatform tremendous hit Fortnite. It’s not even shut. I’d say near a 3rd of my retailer was Fortnite stuff, unfold out throughout Spirit’s completely different sections. Every few aisles I handed I’d spot extra Fortnite. Pickaxes, weapons, grenades, costumes, backpacks, wigs, and even Fortnite-themed Funko Pops.

On the one hand, I shouldn’t be stunned. My previous Spirit visits over the previous couple of years have been crammed with Fortnite gadgets and outfits. But this yr it felt just like the dam had fully damaged. Everywhere I regarded I noticed Fortnite. Kids crowded aisles to seize outfits. Confused dad and mom have been holding neon-colored llamas and hammers. People ran round in Tomato masks and generic sci-fi soldier helmets which might be truly items from well-liked Fortnite skins. It hit me final weekend that Fortnite has actually taken over Halloween. And I’m unhappy about it.

Don’t get me unsuitable, I really like Fortnite. It’s a number of enjoyable! I’m at present digging the brand new Halloween-themed occasion happening within the sport this month. But watching my favourite vacation rework from being a enjoyable kaleidoscope of popular culture and basic horror icons right into a live-action model of Fortnite each October has made me sadder than I anticipated. I even discovered a Batman-branded Fortnite pores and skin. What was as soon as a basic Halloween costume is now consumed—like so many different issues—by Epic’s uber-popular battle royale.

Ultimately, Halloween remains to be cool and remains to be my favourite time of yr. And in fact, children will nonetheless have a good time. It’s an evening the place you get to exit, be scary, and get free sweet. That’s nonetheless superior to 7-year-olds and 77-year-olds alike. But I’ll miss the horrible Sonic outfits and peculiar knock-off Marios working round my avenue each Halloween night time, begging for sweet. At least with these costumes, I didn’t have to clarify what the youngsters have been dressed as to everybody else after they left with their chocolate bars and lollipops.