Not since that wonderful summer where everyone was obsessed with wandering their neighborhoods playing Pokemon Go has a video game taken over the public consciousness. Now, in 2018, we have Fortnite Battle Royale (typically shortened to just Fortnite). In a single weekend this February, 3.4 million people were playing the game at the exact same time, a record in the gaming world — and a powerful statement about our modern ability to sit still together by the millions and fantasize about killing each other.
The game itself is free to download, but in-game purchases have brought in a record $126 million in revenue for Fortnite's parent company, Epic Games, since the game launched in September 2017. The mobile version of the game landed this month, and already users are dropping about $1 million a day on those game purchases. American iPhone users are spending more time on Fortnite than any other app except Netflix — which means dating apps like Tinder or basic social hitters like Instagram are in the rear view.
Yep, the game is here to stay. Here's what you need to know about it.
WHAT IS FORTNITE?
When people talk about Fortnite, they’re almost always talking about Fortnite Battle Royale, the standalone free mode of the game released last year. There’s another mode of the game, Save the World, which isn't free yet and hasn’t received anywhere near the same level of attention. So we won’t talk about that.
In Fortnite Battle Royale, you’re transported to large, colorful world with 99 other online players by way of a floating "battle bus" powered by hot air balloon. The bus slowly makes its way across the map from above, and you must skydive from the bus to the ground below within a set amount of time, deploying a parachute to bring you safely down to the location of your choice. Keep in mind 99 other players are doing the exact same thing and will try to kill you as soon as you’re on the ground, so choosing where you land is key.
Upon landing, the game is basically The Hunger Games, minus Jennifer Lawrence and her love triangle. Your goal is to be the last one standing. Everyone lands with only a pickaxe, which can be used to whack at literally anything (trees, buildings, cars) in exchange for wood, brick, or stone. Those resources can then be used to build walls, floors, roofs, and stairs. Players will often create floors and stairs to walk across thin air, or to erect towers from which they can snipe other unsuspecting players. You’ll find guns, ammunition, grenades, bandages, and other useful supplies in abandoned houses around the map, and it’s imperative to stock up on these items — everyone else will be.
OH, AND ANOTHER STRESSFUL ELEMENT...
There’s also a storm that surrounds the map and will begin to close in as minutes pass, forcing any surviving players into the same area to fight it out. So if your plan is to hide until everyone else gets killed, that strategy will only work for so long.
THAT'S THE PREMISE. SO WHY IS EVERYONE OBSESSED?
It’s honestly super engaging, whether you’re playing or just watching, and the nature of the game makes it a pleasant social activity, whether you're playing with other friends online, or actually sitting together IRL on the couch. Plus, if (and when) your character gets killed, you can keep watching the player who took you out as they continue on through the map. Becoming the sole survivor among 99 other people is difficult, but every kill you manage pumps you with adrenaline and satisfaction.
CONSIDERING ALL THE MURDER, IT'S SURPRISINGLY FAMILY-FRIENDLY.
Fortnite’s vivid colors and cartoony design, combined with the fact that there’s no blood or gore, also makes the game a more family-friendly option than other shooting games, and it’s an accessible option for casual players and non-gamer types alike.
For the most part, Fortnite has avoided the toxicity that runs rampant in many other gaming communities. Misogynistic, racist, and homophobic language are not uncommon in blockbuster games like League of Legends, Dota 2, and Call of Duty, to say the least! But no MMO (massively multiplayer online game) like Fortnite is free from less-than-wholesome activity — and the latest viral YouTube trend of male players making women strip while they play the game is proof.
ITS POPULARITY GROWS BIGGER EVERY DAY.
Fortnite Battle Royale has broken its way into mainstream culture on a massive scale, and while clickbait YouTubers move on to their next viral marketing strategy, the game itself continues to grow and expand to more players. In March, rapper Drake tweeted out to his millions of followers that he was following the live play of a popular gamer known as Ninja, with Kylie Jenner's boyfriend Travis Scott and one of the Pittsburgh Steelers eventually joining in as well. Drake's invitation to fans boosted that livestream to a record 635,000 concurrent viewers.
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