Fortnite sea shanty emote brings the TikTok sensation to the battlefield

Fortnite Shanty for a Squad emote
(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite now has the TikTok sea shanty as an emote, and it even lets you harmonize with the rest of your squad.

The Shanty for a Squad emote is available on the item shop for 500 V-Bucks. It will make your character produce a hand drum and beat it with a closed fist as they sing a Fortnite-themed cover of "Soon May the Wellerman Come." The 19th century whaling song recently enjoyed a surge of popularity among landlubbers for the endless TikTok duets it has inspired, but these lyrics are revised slightly to be about dropping hot and taking dubs instead of being locked in an endless battle against a mighty whale.

Here's the chorus of Shanty for a Squad - apologies if it's already stuck in your head.

See there, the storm she come, to whittle us down and leave just one
So grab your squad, quick on the run, let's take our dub and go

You can use the emote by yourself, but it really comes to life when you use it with the whole squad. Each member will join in for their own synchronized part of the shanty - the announcement trailer proves that Fishstick has a very lovely singing voice.

It seems safe to say that Fortnite will remain the only game where The Flash, John Wick, the Mandalorian, and Ellen Ripley can form a vocal quartet for a long time to come.

An upcoming Batman and Fortnite crossover comic will reveal some secrets about the game's backstory.

Fortnite quests | Fortnite patch notes | Fortnite tips | Fortnite Creative codes | Fortnite 2FA | How to enable cross platform Fortnite matches | How to level up fast in Fortnite | How to get free Fortnite V-Bucks | Fortnite Starter Pack | Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 6

Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.

Read more
Hatsune Miku Fortnite loading screen art.
Hatsune Miku hits Fortnite, immediately steals everyone's dance moves: "This is the greatest game of all time"
Fortnite Hatsune Miku outfit
Fortnite Hatsune Miku: How to get the virtual pop star
Fortnite mascot Big Dill in a ripped photograph with T-Pain
Fortnite attempts to harness the power of Kendrick's diss tracks with "fermented freestyler" Big Dill, a hip-hop pickle who alleges T-Pain ate his family
Mariah Carey arrives to Fortnite in a cloud of glitter.
Oh thank goodness, the Fortnite rumors are true and Mariah Carey is here as a... 10-foot-tall Christmas goddess from space?
Mariah Carey
Fortnite Mariah Carey Christmas crossover leaks, and it looks like the reveal will reference a fan-favorite meme she helped create
Fortnite Starter Pack - Raptor Royale
Fortnite Starter Pack, the Fortnite Raptor Royale Pack is the best deal you can get in the game
Latest in Fortnite
Fortnite Gold Veins
Fortnite Gold Veins: How to mine them for Bars
Fortnite Outlaw Keycard
Fortnite Outlaw Keycard: How to unlock it and what does it do
Fortnite's Lara croft skin in front of a building
Fortnite has had Tomb Raider's Lara Croft locked away in battle pass exclusivity jail for almost 4 years, but she's reportedly getting a new skin very soon
Fortnite Dill Bit Display Cases
Fortnite Dill Bit Display Cases: Where to search them
Fortnite character Jonesy looks shocked in the story trailer for Season X.
Fortnite is now giving cheaters "second chances" with 1-year bans that allow you to use the battle royale like it's Discord and do absolutely nothing else until you're freed from the void
Fortnite Black Markets
Fortnite Black Markets: Where are they and how to use them
Latest in News
Palworld
Nintendo's Palworld lawsuit "came as a shock" to Pocketpair because patent infringement was "something that no one even considered"
Palworld screenshot showing a young woman with tied-back red hair petting her Pal, a large white and purple Xenogard
Palworld dev reckons "very few companies could survive" a launch like theirs: "A lot of companies might crumble under the threats, under the pressure, under the negativity"
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
For 30 years, PC gamers have been keeping this cult classic horror game based on a 58-year-old short story to themselves, but next week it's finally coming to consoles
Colin Farrell wins Golden Globe for The Penguin
Penguin actor Colin Farrell could be going from villain to hero as the star of DC's Sgt. Rock movie
A screenshot from No Man's Sky showing someone in a space suit stood amongst futuristic-looking architecture.
No Man's Sky programmer shares the "first 3D world" he co-created at 18 years old, which was "a foundational step for me from there to No Man's Sky"
Dragon Age: The Veilguard screenshot showing Solas, a pale bald Elven mage, wielding lightning-like powers while grimacing
Dragon Age The Veilguard's playtesters were initially confused about almost every aspect of the game's combat: "It's OK, sometimes we have to let it go"