Epic Games has effectively hidden two D4vd emotes by default following recent controversies surrounding the artist. In the latest Fortnite update, players will no longer hear the "Feel It" and "Trophy Drop" tracks unless they manually enable a specific in-game setting.
How Fortnite Now Hides D4vd Emotes
The change relies on a pre-existing feature designed to mute Confrontational Emotes. This setting was originally implemented to prevent players from using toxic or spam-heavy emotes to grief others during matches. Now, the music from these D4vd emotes has been added to that muted list.
The Charges Against David Anthony Burke
The decision follows serious legal developments involving 21-year-old D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke. Burke was recently charged with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
It is alleged that the killing occurred on or around April 23, 2025, after the victim threatened to report their relationship. Burke has pleaded not guilty to several serious charges, including:
- First-degree murder
- Lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14
- Mutilating a dead body
Fans Demand Total Removal of Content
While Epic Games has stopped promoting the artist in the rotating in-game shop for months, many players believe hiding the D4vd emotes is not enough. Fans are calling for the complete removal of all related assets from the game's ecosystem.
Currently, several pieces of content featuring the artist remain in Fortnite:
- The "Feel It" and "Trophy Drop" emotes
- The music track "What Are You Waiting For"
- The "Locked & Loaded" animated YouTube collaboration
The "Locked & Loaded" video, which features D4vd's likeness interacting with Fortnite characters, has recently seen a surge of negative comments from users demanding its deletion.
Epic Games' Official Response
Last weekend, the @FortniteStatus social media account released a statement acknowledging that the company has heard player concerns. Epic Games indicated they are rolling out "a bunch of changes" over time.
The first major update made live this week allows players to manually request a refund for any D4vd-related content. However, whether these changes will eventually lead to the total scrubbing of the artist from Fortnite remains unknown.
