No, you’ve not misread that headline: Manchester City have taken their commercial success a step further than any club before them by becoming the first team ever to launch their own multiplayer map in a new partnership with Fortnite.
The massively popular online multiplayer game boasts well over half a billion people across the globe, with roughly 230 million active players every month, and has become well-known for its high profile collabs with big franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, Batman, Stranger Things, the NFL and more.
They even hosted a giant Travis Scott concert within an actual games lobby, which saw more than 12.3 million people log on to Fortnite to witness the gaming and live music first.
And it looks as though the game’s streak of breaking new ground isn’t stopping there as now they have teamed up with Man City to host the first-ever online map inspired by a real-life football club.
Can you be the champion of The Ladder? 🏆
Play now on Fortnite Creative! Game Code 7124-6951-4339
As part of the developer Epic Games’ Creative feature, which allows for people to build their own arenas within the smash-hit ‘battle royale’ game, players can now enjoy an officially licensed Manchester City map by entering a simple code.
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Entitled ‘The Ladder’, the map revolves around a series ‘glyphs’ or symbols of recognisable icons around the club, 11 themed arenas such as the ‘Blue Moon’ level inspired by the famous City anthem, another built around the iconic Manchester worker-bee and more.
Designed with support from Karta, a London-based metaverse studio, the map will see players take on each other in ranked one-on-one or ‘PvP’ matches, with their positions constantly changing based on their performances.
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Winners will ascend the ladder to the higher arena, while those who lose will fall further down and, in typical Fortnite fashion, a champion is crowned by being the winner of the final round.
The Fortnite creative map is the latest development in the club’s gaming and esports strategy, which has been a big area of focus for the brand in recent years, with their own Man City ESPORTS team now bigger than ever.
You can see first-team star and England international Jack Grealish taking on streamer and YouTuber ThisIsFG_ in an example below:
As per a press release from the club, the City Football Group’s (CFG) Chief Marketing and Fan Experience Officer, Nuria Tarre, said of the collab: “We are delighted to launch our official Fortnite creative map in collaboration with Epic Games for gaming and football fans around the globe to enjoy.
“The opportunity to build this world in Fortnite presented a fantastic way to increase our presence across the competitive gaming space, a natural crossover for our leading sports entertainment brand.
“This launch is a great new addition to our off-pitch fan engagement activations and we are excited to see a crossover of esports and football fans dive into this immersive City experience.
You can play ‘The Ladder’ official Man City Fortnite map via the access code: 7124-6951-4339.
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
Manchester City plotting spending spree ‘before’ Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City are set to embark on somewhat of a spending spree this summer transfer window as the club’s higher-ups are looking to get business done before the 2025 Club World Cup.
With FIFA’s intercontinental club competition set to get underway in mid-June, the Blues don’t have too long to welcome in new players, but Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reiterated their urgency regarding recruitment.
Despite having brought in four new acquisitions in a very short space of time last season, the 50-year-old argued that he wasn’t completely happy with the extent and speed of their business.
Giving a lengthy interview this week, CFG‘s founding chairman has imposed an internal deadline ahead of the lucrative knockout competition.
Speaking with club media, Khaldoon recognised that while there were incomings in January of this year, he believes they “should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do, adding that he believes it “cost [them].”
“I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly [the targets are], in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option”, he continues.
More importantly, he goes on to add: “We’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift. Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”
He also suggested the flurry of activity this past January was not just atypical of the administration, but felt the squad fell into a crisis state with the number of injuries, insisting they “had to act.”
City have already been linked with a hugely talented and highly-rated European target in the wake of Kevin De Bruyne‘s departure and a lack of strength in depth in midfield.
An initial bid is said to have been received already and will likely be the first of many City summer signings.
He also insisted that the players who joined last season weren’t scattershot, emergency transfers (perhaps barring the resigning of İlkay Gündoğan) but were the start of the rebuild and “gives [fans] an idea of what’s coming this summer.”
Another player linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who scored in big moments during their Europa League run this year, registering 32 goal contributions across all competitions throughout the 24/25 campaign.
Who would you like to see added to Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, then, Man City fans?
You can watch Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s interview in full down below:
Danny Jones -
23rd July 2024 
