Fortnite

Fortnite is a role-playing game (RPG) where participants compete in a battle royale style. It is a free game that was developed by Epic Games. The idea for the game began being developed in 2011 by the former design director of the company, but there were delays in the development of the game due to various issues, including funding.

The first version of Fortnite, Fortnite: Save the World, was officially launched in 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and personal computers (PCs), and it was not very successful with players and critics. Epic Games released the next version of the game, Fortnite Battle Royale, just a few weeks after the first. As a free online game in the very popular battle royale genre, the game was a massive success, with millions of players downloading it within weeks. Epic Games continues to release updates and different versions of the games, titling versions of subtle changes as "seasons" and larger changes as "chapters."

The lore of Fortnite is based on a structure of an infinite loop, meaning the story will just start again once it seems to be at its end. The game is ever-evolving, and the setting (the island) and the characters are continuously changing with every update, new season, and new chapter. Unlike other video games, the lore in Fortnite is more based on storylines that are being developed rather than a complex backstory.

Fortnite is available to be played on various consoles and systems but is not available in the Google Play store nor the Apple App Store due to Epic Games installing its own payment system for in-game purchases rather than using the stores and having to share 30% of the revenue. However, the game can still be downloaded directly from the Fortnite website for devices that use the Android operating system.

The game can be played on a PC, and users would need to use their keyboards and other PC hardware to play the game. When using consoles, such as a PlayStation or Xbox, players can use the accompanying hardware to play the game. Given the social interaction of the game, it is also suggested that players use a headset to communicate with other players.

Players can create their own avatar for the game by choosing the avatar's gender, clothing, dance moves, etc. Players are placed in a "lobby," where they are kept until they choose the mode in which they want to play. Modes include the following:

• Solos: fighting alone against 99 other players
• Duos: fighting with a partner against 49 other teams
• Squads: fighting with a group of people against 24 other "squads"
• Limited time mode: other modes that are only available for a short time.

After choosing the game mode, players are transported from the lobby to the "Battle Bus," which is a school bus flying through the air as it is attached to a hot air balloon. Players need to jump from the bus to get onto the island, which is slowly shrinking, and play the game. The players gather weapons and build structures to fight and eliminate each other from the game until there is only one player fighting one other player to win their place on the island (depending on which game mode was chosen). Weapons and characters are often added or eliminated, and the setting itself changes throughout the seasons and chapters, but the basic premise is for the player to fight until they are the last one on the island.

As of February 2024, there are 28 seasons of Fortnite, with seasons lasting anywhere from 50 to 128 days.

• Fortnite: Save the World (Season 1)
• Fortnite Battle Royale (Season 2)
• Season 3
• Season 4
• Season 5
• Season 6
• Season 7
• Season 8
• Season 9
• Season X
• Chapter Two, season one
• Chapter Two, season two
• Chapter Two, season three
• Chapter Two, season four
• Chapter Two, season five
• Chapter Two, season six
• Chapter Two, season seven
• Chapter Two, season eight
• Chapter Three, season one
• Chapter Three, season two
• Chapter Three, season three
• Chapter Three, season four
• Chapter Four, season one
• Chapter Four, season two
• Chapter Four, season three
• Chapter Four, season four
• Chapter Five, Fortnite OG
• Chapter Five, season one

In addition to being a video game, Fortnite is known for being a virtual space for both entertainment and socializing. Epic Games has entered into collaborations with major brands, such as Nike, Ferrari, and Disney, to temporarily integrate them into Fortnite. Other collaborations include characters from TV shows and franchises, such as Marvel's Avengers, John Wick, and Peter Griffin from Family Guy. Entertainers have also appeared in the game as part of collaborations, some of whom are John Cena, Eminem, and Lewis Hamilton.

Disney collaboration with Epic Games to appear in Fortnite

There are live events that take place in the Fortnite world, which adds to the social element of the game. Some of the live events are to reveal major new elements to the game and other a virtual versions of live events that have in the past only been in-person, like concerts from Ariana Grande and Eminem. There are also tournaments in which players can participate, some of which have grand prizes of $3,000,000.