Fortnite: Battle Royale Game Gone Iconic
An epic game Fortnite is one not only because it’s distributed by Epic Games. It’s a massive Battle Royale action game, a multiplayer shooter where a hundred fighters are deployed on an island, and only one should remain in the end. The deadly storm slowly shrinks the available area, so one cannot just sit away waiting for others to kill each other.
Among other Battle Royale games, Fortnite is different because of its constructing element (“Fort” in the name is the short for “fortification”). Along with shooting and stabbing others, you can collect wood, iron, or stone and build fortifications – walls, roofs, stairs. Constructing is a crucial element of the game that changes tactics completely.
It completely outshines the original Fortnite: Save the World that was of a different genre (co-op-survival) and, in addition, was paid. Many of the Fortnite: Battle Royale players don’t even know there was a predecessor. Fortnite: Battle Royale is free, but it offers paid Battle Pass (that unlocks new tiers, items, and rewards) and paid cosmetic stuff. And it pays: Fortnite skins revenue is greater than some small country budget.
Along with purely gaming elements, Fortnite offers a rich world with dancing, gigs by popular musicians, movie premieres, crossovers with other popular franchises, and memes generated in large amounts. A Fortnite skin can cost up to 2,000 vBucks, which is about $16 – a price of a decent standalone game.
Chapters & Seasons: From the Beginning to the Future
Being an online, server-based game. Fortnite constantly evolves. With each season, it changes the island, adds new landscape elements, buildings, spots, vehicles, and characters. It will take too long to cover all the chapters and seasons that Fortnite already has, so let’s focus on highlights only. Here is a brief reminiscence of Fortnite seasons and chapters.
Chapter 1
Season 1 (2017)
At that time, nobody perceived it as just the inception. Hence, its designation arrived retrospectively, akin to cinemascope narratives that burgeoned into series.
Season 2 (2017-18)
This season was medieval-themed. Not only did it help to establish the very idea of seasons with exclusive content. It also added so many gameplay elements that the previous season, in retrospect looks just dull and unplayable.
Season 3 (2018)
The space-themed season introduced the 100-tier battle pass, along with cosmic decorations and greatly balanced gameplay. It’s the season that made Fortnite really loved, still remembered with sweet nostalgia.
Season 4 (2018)
The greatest thing that could happen to Fortnite at that stage was a crossover with The Avengers. And yes, Marvel superheroes felt like they belonged on that postmodern island where everything is possible.
Season 5 (2018)
Time and space rifts could take you anywhere. Fortnite made a lot of that timey-wimey stuff, and also introduced many weapons that later became iconic.
Season 6 (2018)
The Halloween season got it dark and mystical. Not only was it pumpkin-overloaded and spooky, but also introduced zombies (as if we had too few other zombie-infested games).
Season 7 (2018-19)
After fall comes winter, so it happened in Fortnite. Among the most welcomed additions, there are planes that can fly you across the map quicker. That’s also when the Lynx skin was introduced.
Season 8 (2019)
A pirate-themed season turned the island into a theme park. In fact, it’s one of the most logical themes for an island of treasures, weapons, and combat. One of the most popular additions was the Peely skin.
Season 9 (2019)
The futuristic look at the island got it full of skyscrapers, fantastic buildings, bright lights, and new weapons. One might expect lasers, but instead, we have the Combat Shotgun, a weapon that has become popular since.
Season X (2019)
The final season of the chapter featured the long-expected black hole. In addition, there were new locations… and little else. Nothing to distract you from the end of the world.
Chapter 2
The new world has arrived. Though the idea of seasons is not going anywhere, the new chapter has a linear structure. What will happen to the island in the end?
Season 1 (2019-2020)
The map was revamped, the island changed a bit after being sucked into the black hole… But the only real new feature was fishing on boats and boats themselves. A harpoon was a cool new weapon.
Season 2 (2020)
Instead of No Time to Die that was delayed, spy story fans got a spy-themed season of Fortnite in spring 2020. One might expect someone looking like Daniel Craig to appear as a character, but instead we got Deadpool – not bad either.
Season 3 (2020)
In the lockdown summer when many of us could have been at beaches and resorts, we got an aquatic season of Fortnite. There were also Aquaman challenges (what other hero to introduce to a season like this?)
Season 4 (2020)
Again, the fourth season of a chapter is Marvel-themed. There were so many superhero skins to get that many players wanted to have them all. And you still ask why Fortnite is so influential that Netflix names it its biggest rival.
Season 5 (2020-2021)
Inspired heavily by Star Wars (first of all, The Mandalorian), this season was about bounty hunting. It also brought in new skins, including SW-themed, and jetpacks that allow flying away from the storm and finding others easier. Finally, the characters it features included those from The Terminator, Walking Dead, Alien franchises, as well as God of War and Street Fighter.
Season 6 (2021)
A wildlife-themed primal adventure brought something new. Locations were added in excess, but new weapons were underwhelming. On the other hand, this was the first chance to experience Fortnite in a single-player mode.
Season 7 (2021)
The current season of Fortnite looks like the creators have really been abducted by aliens. Why else could they write and imagine them so lively, with so much colorful detail? It will last until September 2021. Among guest stars, you will meet Superman along with Rick Sanchez (probably without Morty).
Each new Fortnite season is a cultural event in its own right. Constant crossovers feature characters and elements of other franchises which consider it a high recognition to star on the island. In addition, there are even live concerts and shows in the game! The most prominent artists who delivered their gigs here are Miley Cyrus and Marshmello, but there were others as well.
Tournaments and Champions
Already an established esports discipline, Fortnite hosts frequent tournaments. The most successful players can win significant money and gain fame, as many people like watching great games as much as playing themselves (being this spectacular is another Fortnite perk). On the Epic site, there are tournament announcements and rules, so each one who qualifies can participate. While there are Fortnite festivals offline, tournaments don’t require players to gather in the same place.
Fortnite champions become as popular as those of physical sports. Teams and solo players may attract audiences of millions, either in real-time or later in recorded videos. Here are five top players whose stories inspire and make us wonder.
Fortnite is a game where you can get many kinds of experiences depending on its modes. It has achieved the highest ranks of gamers society and the attention of over 200 million monthly active players. More than that, it is one of the most nominated and awarded games ever, which you can play on different platforms. You can use our "Get" page to download Fortnite via links to official sources.
How to Play Fortnite
One of the main Fortnite gameplays is a 3rd person multiplayer tactical shooter based on Battle Royale guidelines. You can upgrade, customize, and master your shooting skills to raise your positions on the worldwide leaderboard. In this game, you can create a single unit and take part in online battles against 99 players per session. The logic of the combat requires you to fight against everyone you meet to become the last man standing on the map. Generally, Fortnite’s AI creates each round considering the stats of every player. Also, you can either fight alone or enter the team mode and squad up with up to 3 more players. Anyway, Fortnite allows more than just a shooting mode.
Fortnite Modes and Seasons Features
Fortnite games modes are one the game features free to choose from. You can play in one of the three main Fortnite modes:
- Battle Royale
- Creative
- Save the World
Also, you can choose plenty of other modes to play inside the main modes. Modes allow players to feel the game variety: you can be dropped on an island to fight and survive, or you can hang out with friends looking to watch or listen to something (like an Ariana Grande concert), or you can create your own world with your own rules. The Creative mode would be familiar to those who have played Minecraft, and you can also create your maps in Fortnite Creative Mode. You can download Fortnite for PC, PS4 and Xbox S.
Fortnite seasons and collaborations are another feature that makes this game so popular. Fortnite was released in 2017, and 12.0 is one of the latest versions you can play. Along with the new game versions, Fortnite new seasons are launched regularly with new upgrades. Each Fortnite season includes something relevant to pop culture. The appearance of Rich Sanchez in Fortnite from the “Rick and Morty” sitcom is one of the most adorable features of Fortnite Season 7. Leak suggests that Will Smith will appear at some point on one of the seasons. Another character is Superman Fortnite added to the game in 2021. Also, the developers often entertain game fans by setting live shows with Ariana Grande on Fortnite in 2021 or Travis Scott in 2020. Thus, you see that Fortnite is a real Funko Pop amongst the video games, which amuse you not only by its gameplay but by fun crossovers too.
Characters in Fortnite
At the very beginning, you can create a unique character using the appearance and clothing editor. The library includes thousands of customizable items, so the chances of meeting someone like you are very low. Also, you can change character in Fortnite anytime.
The custom outfits of the characters are called Fortnite Skins. Skins is that part of the Fortnite setting which attracted many players who don’t even play Battle Royale mode. Through the experience of designing unique characters, Fortnite players also get an experience of creating their own, special Universe.
Fortnite Platforms to Play
Fortnite Mobile is the same game that goes for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch. It receives the same updates and seasonal events and the same items. If you want to have fun with your friends playing on different platforms, you now know that the Fortnite cross platform is available for almost all the supported devices. And your statistics may be synchronized on all these devices.The Fortnite crossplay is available for mobile (iOS / Android), PlayStation4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows / Mac PC. Still, you have to find out some tricks on how to crossplay Fortnite. The crucial thing is that you have to link your Fortnite account with Epic Store account to enable cross-platform matchmaking.
Fortnite for Mobile Platforms
The Android version of Fortnite mostly replicates the desktop one, on par with it on both visuals and gameplay. The game supports both on-screen controls and wired/wireless gamepads. It’s Fortnite Mobile that made popular various gamepad cases, wireless triggers, and joysticks for Android phones and tablets.
As for Apple devices, you just cannot download Fortnite for these, after its infamous removal from the App Store. The conflict has made it to the court, and we cannot predict how it’ll end. Those who still have Fortnite, though, can play it further, and Fortnite crossplay remains available.
Fortnite for PC
It all depends on the hardware of your PC, but it does not require much to play Fortnite. Minimum system requirements are quite realistic:
- Core i5-7300U 3.5 GHz or similar;
- Nvidia GTX 1080 or similar;
- 8 GB RAM;
- 16 GB HDD space.
The game also requires frequent updates as new seasons start. Without an update, it just won’t run. So make sure you have at least 4-5 GB for a Fortnite update as it comes.
A gamepad isn’t necessary, as the game is fully controllable with KBM. But if you have one, you can use it as well with no extra setting up. As for visuals, a PC with a powerful video card can beat PS4 or Xbox One, and follow not far behind PS5 or Xbox Series X/C.
Fortnite for Consoles
Of course, among Fortnite platforms, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch deliver the most enhanced gaming experience. Even on last-gen consoles, Fortnite looks fantastic and utilizes all the features provided by controls, be it mainstream gamepads (like DualSense/DualShock or Xbox Controller) or something special, like Joy-Cons.
Epic has done a truly epic job for console players not to bother how to crossplay in Fortnite. All the platforms are treated as equal. All you need is to connect your Epic account to that of your console vendor (Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo). Otherwise, you’ll only match with others on the same console as yours.
Celebs Play Fortnite Too
Celebrities play Fortnite just like regular people do. Among Fortnite: Battle Royale loving musicians, one can name Drake, Travis Scott, Chance the Rapper, Joe Jonas (of Jonas Brothers), Tekashi 6ix9ine, and Lil Yachty. Why, one might wonder, rappers prevail on the list? Probably because the festive style of the game is closer to hip-hop.
Actual sports players love Fortnite too. Among them, there are Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City Chiefs, Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur, and Gary Medel of Bologna. By the way, it goes the other way round too: Diego Lima, one of top Fortnite players, had a lot of soccer experience.
There Was Fortnite before Fortnite
When we speak about Fortnite, we actually speak about Fortnite’s spinoff. The original Fortnite was a survival adventure and much less of success. But the Battle Royale spinoff really set off and up to the moon. The original game is still available on Epic Games Store, and it’s obviously more inspired by Minecraft than by the Battle Royale movie.
The name of the Battle Royale genre is taken from the eponymous Japanese movie with the same premise (a group of people on an island fight till there’s only one left). Later the same idea was utilized in The Hunger Games, and, as this franchise was the freshest by the moment of Fortnite Battle Royale release, it was mentioned the most frequently.
Fortnite Is This Profitable Because It’s Free
It’s a well-known psychological effect that minor gifts to a person evoke the desire to reciprocate. Fortnite: Battle Royale is itself a sort of gift, a massive game that you can enjoy for free. No wonder its revenue is much more than that of the original Fortnite: Save the World (which was paid).
Knowing this, you will be aware when suddenly someone stops you in the street and hands you a brochure, a flower, or any other souvenir. It makes you voluntarily reach for your pocket and give them some money willingly.
Fortnite Features a DC/Marvel Crossover
Fortnite is all about crossovers. The developers of the game like to introduce characters from other universes to the island. Since 2021, the game has made it to printed comic books in collaboration with DC Comics. In these books, the origins of Zero Point are disclosed, and the first superhero featured in it is Batman. Along with him, there will probably be other DC characters. Paper comic books contain redeem codes for extra in-game content, like exclusive skins. Alas, these comic books are only available in certain countries.
Given that Fortnite also collaborates with Marvel and features characters from Marvel Universe (not only MCU), the Fortnite Island is one of those rare places where DC and Marvel characters can legitimately coexist in the same event (and maybe even join the same team). For example, in Chapter 2 Season 7, among the unlockable skins, there are Gamora (by Marvel) and Superman (by DC). Yes, they can meet on the same battlefield. Isn’t that a reason to adore Fortnite?
Want an Exclusive Skin? Buy an Entire Account!
A good Fortnite account may be worth over $10,000. There is no way to officially pass items from one player to another in Fortnite: Battle Royale. The only method available is to pass the entire account. And this is widely used on the secondhand account market. Prices can go as high as ten thousand dollars or even more.
The reason for these hyped prices is simple. Each season, Epic rolls out portions of new content – exclusive skins, outfits, other cosmetic items – that later become unavailable. If you want, for example, a Galaxy skin that only came as a bonus for Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets once, the only way to obtain it now is to buy an account that already has this skin in the locker.
No, you cannot buy several accounts and merge them into one if each of them has a different set of limited items. But you can buy all of them and switch between them as you want to change a character. Luxury is never cheap.
Earn Fast, Play Young
Top players get enormous money in Fortnite. The highest earning Fortnite player of all times, Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, has earned $3,160,795.05 in total. There are at least six players whose income exceeded $1M, and hundreds of those earning hundreds of thousands. The stats, of course, only encounter their earnings from winning at tournaments. These players also earn from their Twitch, YouTube, and other social media channels, mostly streaming games. So, playing Fortnite can make you a millionaire in less than two years.
Most of the greatest Fortnite players are less than 20 years old. It takes fast response and great gaming experience to succeed in such a game. They all can tell a lot about their preparation, philosophy, and training methods.
In North Korea, Fortnite Bans YOU!!
It usually happens that a country bans some service for political or moral reasons. It’s vice versa with Fortnite. This game is not banned by any government in the world (unlike, say, PUBG that’s banned in India and even pre-Taliban Afghanistan). On the contrary, Epic Games bans some countries, making its games and services unavailable for them. As of August 2021, banned from Epic Store are Iran, Iraq, Cuba, North Korea, Syria, as well as Crimea. Inhabitants of these countries and regions are not allowed to make purchases on Epic Store.
Formally, China is also on the list, but the situation is more sophisticated there. As about 40% of Epic Games shares are owned by Tencent, the company does operate in China, though not directly. This partial ownership could cost Epic a lot when Donald Trump in 2020 questioned Epic Games about their liaisons and technologies that could be used for espionage. The issues were later settled.
Fortnite Is Different in China
Chinese users can download a special localized version of Fortnite, which is possible because Epic Games is partly owned by Tencent, a Chinese gaming giant. The Chinese version is different in many details. For example, it replaced skulls in all the skins using this element. Arena Mode is also banned. The lore is reviewed to make Fortnite less violent. Everything happening on the island is a drill where the player’s avatar fights holograms of other fighters, with no one actually dying.
The game length is limited to 20 minutes, and everyone alive by the end of the game is considered a winner. Most importantly, Fortnite China uses no microtransactions, so there are other ways to earn V-Bucks. On the other hand, for minors there are gameplay limitations: maximum 90 minutes of gameplay on weekdays and maximum 3 hours on weekends and holidays.
The Game Continues
As Battle Royale Fortnite has become one of the most iconic (and profitable) games in history. Heroes and villains from various universes, eras and regions become Fortnite characters easily. Its postmodern approach lets it absorb elements of TV series and pop concerts, enter entertaining shows and legal news.
There are lessons to learn from Fortnite that can be useful in real life:
- Appearance matters. Everything else comes for free, but, as we are ready to pay for our looks, books indeed are first judged by covers.
- Make a gift if you expect to get something in return. Krishna followers know that, as they first give you a flower or a brochure and then ask you for something. So does Epic Games.
- A playground is a space that welcomes everyone. The richer you make it, the more players are here. Realism is cool, but creativity is cooler.
- It’s easier to give in portions. A Fortnite game is just up to 30 minutes, but, game by game, you can give it long hours.
Keep playing! Not only will it give you joy of getting better, but also keep you aware of events in arguably the most influential videogame of our century.
Conclusion
Fortnite is a multiplayer game for fans of Battle Royale. It is not limited by a shooter experience, though. Fortnite allows you to use your imagination in creating unique characters and worlds in different game modes. It presents highly dynamic gameplay with multiple strategic options for on-the-go action planning. There is no surprise why Fortnite became so popular and engaged in pop culture in general.
