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.
Kyle Walker announces retirement from international football with England at 35
Danny Jones
Former Manchester City star and England defender has announced his retirement from international football at 35 years old.
He calls it a day for his country with nearly a century of appearances.
Kyle Walker, who has won six Premier Leagues, four Carabao trophies, a pair of FA Cups and a Champions League title with Man City, made his national team debut back in 2011.
Now, nearly a full decade and a half later, he is hanging up his boots on the biggest stage, retiring as England’s most capped right back in history.
As you can see, he confirmed the news in a highlight video looking back on her best moments with the Three Lions.
Sharing a lengthy and emotional statement in the caption, the Yorkshireman wrote: “After more than a decade representing my country, I have decided to retire from international football. Playing for England has always been the biggest honour of my career and something I will always be proud of.
“Thank you to every teammate, coach, manager, the 12th man, and everyone behind the scenes who has been part of the journey. Every roar from the fans pushed the team along, and I’m looking forward to joining them to support the lads in the World Cup.”
His last appearance in an England shirt came in June against Senegal, since dropping out of manager Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice team and future plans, with both form and age no doubt being factored into that decision.
Walker added: “The memories in an England shirt will stay with me forever.”
96 caps 🧢 Five major tournaments 🏴 A #ThreeLions legend ⭐
He went on to sign off by saying, “I also want to thank my family for their support every step of the way. They have made this journey even more special, and I will always be grateful to have shared it with them.”
The Sheffield-born fullback left Manchester last year following a loan spell at AC Milan, before joining fellow Premier League side Burnley FC permanently this past July.
Meanwhile, the Clarets are staring down relegation back to the Championship; however, this step will no doubt help Walker prolong his club career, whether or not he stays in Lancashire.
Where does Walker rank among the all-time England defenders in your mind?
Featured Images — Oleg Bkhambri (via Wikimedia Commons)/England (screenshot via YouTube)
Sport
Wigan Warriors’ Bevan French out for around four months with major muscle injury
Danny Jones
Wigan Warriors player Bevan French has unfortunately been ruled out for roughly four months following a fairly serious muscle injury.
An important playmaker and cog in the wider team, his absence will surely be felt.
French, 30, is said to have suffered a hamstring tear during the win over Toulouse Olympique this past weekend, and while not as severe as a full rupture, Bevan has now been told by the club he will be sidelined for approximately 16 weeks, according to head coach Matt Peet.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester after learning the news, he provided a number of updates from the physio room, including the latest on Jai Field, who French had been filling in for at fullback.
While Wigan are currently leading the Super League once again, they will be without one of their key Warriors with just under a dozen games left in the season.
The Greater Manchester club’s quadruple-winning boss and former Coach of the Year admitted that, despite some obvious disappointments in the immediate aftermath, his “positive” and “philosophical” attitude has already kicked in.
He’s quite philosophical, Bevan. He quickly flips a switch.
“Now he knows the timeframe and the schedule for his recovery, like most professionals, he can get his head down now and focus on the present”, said the 41-year-old.
The Australian stand-off/fly-half has regularly run the show in red and white, and even amid periods out of the squad, he remains an understandable fan favourite and integral part of the team when fit.
You only need to hear pundits and peers alike describing him as a “special” talent to know how much of a big miss he’ll be.
As mentioned, Peet also shed more light on Field, who dropped out with appendicitis last week and is himself set for around four to five weeks away.
For now, youngster Noah Hodkinson is being given the chance to fill the void and work his way into the first team after regularly impressing in the reserves.
Nevertheless, they could have really done with him ahead of their upcoming games.
Domestically, all three of Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves and St Helens aren’t far behind them in the table, so it could prove to be a tasty remainder of the 2026 campaign.
You can watch the highlights from the result against Toulouse on Saturday, 7 March, here.
Danny Jones -
23rd July 2024 
