Fortnite and the popular DJ and electronic music producer Marshmello accomplished something incredible today, hosting a live, 10-minute in-game concert for Fortnite battle royale players around the world to enjoy together. Around 2:00 pm ET, all Fortnite players participating in the current Limited Time Mode, the Team Rumble, were transported to Pleasant Park. Once there, all players automatically had their weapons and HUD disabled and were treated to an exclusive live concert filled with fireworks, anti-gravity, emotes, and, of course, Marshmello's tunes.

Epic Games and Marshmello have both been teasing the in-game event for some time now, but few could have predicted just how unique, complex, and well-executed the concert would be. Not only was there a legitimate concert stage with multiple huge screens, lighting, a show floor, and giant Cuddle Team Leader holograms, but also a fully-animated Marshmello DJ. And the entire thing was arranged and choreographed to perfectly align with the music down to the second. It was a genuine high-production virtual concert experience.

What brought the Fortnite Marshmello concert to the next level, though, was the amount of interactivity introduced moment to moment. If it was as simple as players congregating, jumping, emoting, and otherwise just listening to the music, that would be great. But it also featured audio from Marshmello himself, encouraging players to jump and have fun. It was likely pre-recorded, just like his character was animated, but it really brought the experience to life. And of course, the icing on the cake was the mid-song events. Whether it be forcing players jump with low gravity when the beat dropped, launching players into the air to fly slowly down, or the beach balls tossed into the crowd near the end of the concert, the event forced participation in really fun ways.

Fortnite has made a name for itself with its scripted in-game events that rework the battle royale's landscape in clever ways right in front of players' eyes. These events, like the mysterious purple cube and the more recent iceberg crashing into the map, have allowed for clever and unique forms of interactivity before. The dramatic conclusion of the purple cube storyline, which transported players briefly into another dimension, was a sign that Epic had increasingly ambitious plans for its events going forward.

Today's Marshmello concert opens up any number of possibilities for Epic Games and Fortnite in the future. If Epic can script an event, it could be added into the game as a special event. Not to mention any number of tie-in skins and emotes made available as microtransactions. Just another reminder that Fortnite's success stems from much more than just its quality as a battle royale game.

Fortnite is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices.