What started as a dance in the Maryland men’s basketball locker room has now made it into Fortnite, one of the most popular games in the world.
Joining the likes of the Floss and the Hype dance – made famous by Drake and BlocBoy JB’s song “Look Alive” – the Running Man was made available as a dance emote in Fortnite for its sixth season of updates this week.
The Running Man has reached @FortniteGame!
The most popular game on the planet now includes everyone’s favorite dance craze of 2016 from @Heat_Check11 & @Jaybrant2 pic.twitter.com/JPqzaPwIj1
— Maryland Basketball (@TerrapinHoops) September 28, 2018
The Running Man Challenge, made famous by Maryland men’s basketball players Jaylen Brantley and Jared Nickens, took over social media in late 2015 when the two posted videos of themselves dancing around to Ghost Town DJ’s “My Boo.”
This soon led to others duplicating the dance all over the internet, and got Brantley and Nickens an appearance on The Ellen Show.
Well @TheEllenShow didn’t let Jaylen and Jared leave LA empty handed, and they returned the favor… #TerpsInLA pic.twitter.com/2krjVNG3ON
— Maryland Terrapins (@umterps) May 3, 2016
Fortnite didn’t become viral until 2016, but it has become one of the biggest gaming sensations ever since. The third-person shooter attracts many with its combination of shooting and building, allowing players to destroy and build structures in real-time combat.
Its “Battle Royale” mode puts 100 players on an ever-shrinking island where the last player standing wins. The animation style and gameplay keep the game light-hearted, with players being given the ability to communicate and dance with other players with emotes.
The game’s developer, Epic Games, constantly updates the game with new character skins, dances, other emotes and more.
The Running Man may have already seen its peak popularity come and go, but it could easily make a comeback now that it’s once again being seen on screens around the world.