Fortnite, a free-to-download competitive online video game, has taken over social media. The game, developed by North Carolina based video game company Epic Games, has surpassed 45 million downloads and continues to grow in popularity as users post clips and high scores to their feeds.
The game has two main modes: a cooperative multiplayer survival mode called Save the World and a more competitive mode entitled Battle Royale in which up to 100 players are pit against each other in a last-man-standing deathmatch. The objective of the Battle Royale mode is to defeat other players and be the last one alive.
The Battle Royale mode has gained Fortnite the most notoriety, as the competitive nature of the game encourages players to get as close to the number one spot as they can.
“Playing gives you an adrenaline rush,” sophomore Mia Stawsky said. “It’s a great way to start your morning. It really wakes you up.”
Each match begins with players flying above a map in a floating bus. Players jump down from the bus and parachute to land on an island. The island environment features towns, houses and other areas where players scavenge for weapons, supplies and resources.
When a player is killed, he is sent to the menu screen where he can choose to either play another match or exit the game.
The game’s fast-paced action and addictive nature make it appealing to younger audiences, allowing it to become one of the fastest growing games on the market.
The Battle Royale game format that Fortnite employs has become prominent in the gaming world, with other games such as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) using the same basic premise. While PUBG features a more realistic virtual world, Fortnite has a cartoonish style which, along with its quick matches, appeals more to casual players than PUBG does.
Fortnite’s popularity has spawned an expansive fanbase of players. The game has even provided streamers–players who livestream games online for thousands to watch–a platform for fame. The most prominent Fortnite streamer, who goes by the moniker Ninja, earns over $500,000 per month by streaming footage of him playing the game and has played with rapper Drake and other celebrities.
Junior Ryan Smith’s Fortnite play has become a daily habit. “I’d say I play at least three hours a day,” he said.
Likewise, sophomore Can Kilic reports playing at least a few hours every night. “It helps me forget about school’s stressful situations,” he said.
Epic Games has launched a mobile version of Fortnite for the iPhone on the Apple Store and is expected to release an Android version soon.
The company recently released Fortnite’s season four update, adding new free content and game modes which will likely keep students playing for hours to come.
“It’s so fun to hit up your friends and play a couple matches,” sophomore Raynard LeClaire said. “It’s a great time.”
Not everyone, however, is a fan of the game. Graphics teacher Kevin Schoden has only played Fortnite a handful of times, due to his dislike of the game’s graphic. “I think it’s too cartoony,” he said. “It’s not realistic enough.”
