Fortnite x Stranger Things almost had one of the first collaborative POIs in the game. Now, major collaborations often get their own landing spots. They may not be named POIs, but there are almost landmarks with characters and items like the temples from the Avatar crossover. For some, there are full locations, like The Daily Bugle, Gotham City, Hellcarrier 64, and Stark Industries. Those are much more commonplace now, but they weren’t back in Chapter 1. Stranger Things almost started the trend.

Fortnite x Stranger Things Unreleased POI Revealed

ShiinaBR shared the previously unseen leak of a Fortnite x Stranger Things collaborative Point of Interest. Landing spots from Chapter 1 have become rather iconic, and it’s almost certain that this lab from Hawkins, Indiana (the setting of the popular television show) would have as well. Unfortunately, it never came to be. It was a model of the Hawkins National Laboratory from the show, which was where Eleven, a future Fortnite character herself, spent a lot of time.

Given that Epic Games had a full POI planned and even designed, it’s reasonable to assume there might have been NPCs and special items. Chief Hopper and the Demogorgon were the skins in the first Stranger Things x Fortnite collaboration, so they might have played a part at Hawkins Lab. The original collaboration debuted in Chapter 1 Season 9, which meant that Hawkins Lab would have been placed alongside Neo Tilted, Sunny Steps, Paradise Palms, Haunted Hills, and Happy Hamlet.

It’s unclear why the POI never made it. It is clear that it was at one time real. The person who originally shared the image on Art Station is a senior artist for Epic Games. They likely worked on this POI, perhaps designing some of it. Sadly, it never saw the light of day. Game engine limitations might have prevented Epic Games’ original plan from coming to fruition. However, this certainly made it a more exciting collaboration in Fortnite.