What is Fortnite?

Fortnite is a video game that within the past few years has exploded in popularity. It is a battle royale themed game, where 100 players load in the map and fight to be the last one standing. Fortnite originally began as a zombie fighting and base building game, but picked up traction with a larger fan base once the battle royale mode was added. The battle royale mode was released on Sep, 27 2017. A creative mode was also released, where players can create their own custom game modes and maps. Fortnite is one of the largest games distributed by technology company Epic Games, with other large titles including: Rocket League and Grand Theft Auto V. 

Fortnite has different eras to its game, defined by chapters and seasons. After a certain amount of months, the season will change. A season changing will bring in new cosmetic items like weapon skins, character skins and emotes. Another thing that a new season will bring is changes to the map that the players play on, changes in the loot pool of weapons, and items that players use in game. Different seasons have vastly different receptions from the player base, with a general consensus being that the earlier seasons were superior due to the map and items within the game. 

Back to basics

Fortnite introduced its newest season, Fortnite OG. This is a throwback to its original chapter one map, where a large number of players were introduced to the game. The entire month of Nov. Fortnite will continue to be updated weekly, progressing through the original 10 seasons. Critics attribute the popularity of Fortnite OG to the nostalgia and quality of the old seasons. Video game critic Andrew Webster said, “The new season also helped me realize just how far the game has come over the years.”

Critics are not the only ones loving the game, as senior Deacon Schaner started playing the game upon its release. He has roughly 7.3 thousand hours on record of time spent playing. Schaner loves the game, both casually and competitively. Schaner said, “I love playing with my duo partner Jayden Omangi and winning a lot of cash cups. There is always something to do, there’s lots of different modes and ranks. I like just having a good time with my friends.”

Teenagers and kids around America use Fortnite as a tool to socialize with friends. Many people feel positively about the new Fortnite OG season and its impact on the game. Schaner said, “I think it’s really saving the game, you know? Five million players now are consecutively on the game, I think that’s a pretty awesome thing.”

Statistics

According to the numbers, this addition is widely beloved by the video game community. Fortnite reached its peak concurrent player count this month, with it reaching 6.2 million players. Epic games reported 102 million hours played on Sunday, November 5, 2023.

From the period of July 30 to Oct. 1, the game was on a steady decline in player numbers. This trend was interrupted with a large spike in players come Nov. 3, the release date of the update.

Fortnite has had a surprising staying power amongst youth, with the opportunity for the game to be intriguing again being at the tip of the developers’ fingertips. Kids across the nation have grown up with the game, and will forever hold nostalgia for the hours they spent playing. This resurgence marks an important moment in the game, captivating the old player base and retaining their current players. It is a marketing tactic that could prove very successful. Fortnite OG has gathered every possible player and has built up the interest and excitement for the game. The gaming community is at the edge of their seats for what Epic Games will do once the current season ends.