Dec 13, 2020
Fortnite: How it Has Stayed Relevant, Unique and What is to Come?
If you were to download Fortnite today it would not look anything like the game that launched in 2017.
The game started as a pivot from the zombie tower defense game that Fortnite was originally set to be, when it failed to find players the team at Epic decided to make a some changes rebranding it as battle royale.
The game is now in its second chapter and has grown into a online shooter, social space, concert venue, movie theatre and etc. The game continues to grow and change every season.
The weirdest part about Fortnite, is that when they announce a new season they have almost reached a Marvel or Star Wars level of quality. When they put out their posters they are covered in original characters, lore and now even licensed character from other companies (including Marvel and Star Wars) has become a regular occurrence.
This is why I want to break it all down and talk about why Fortnite is doing games as a service so much better than most of the other companies.
The above image is what I want to start with. This was Chapter 2 Season 3. I want to start out by sharing one quality of Fortnite that I believe is a huge part of their success in keeping the game relevant. It is the fact that they are not afraid to change up the experience from season to season.
Fortnite is not scared to make their seasons about something entirely new and double down on it in an effort to create original content, this time that idea was a water world. Partner this with the fact that licensed characters are probably just a part of Fortnite moving forward now that they have had multiple tied to the battle pass.
Fortnite is truly its own, unique world one where you can have Aquaman, Thor, Mandalorian and a cat on a robotic body. This world and its crazy occupants is, what I believe, keeps bringing people back to the game. I think that a launch of a new season for some is like when a new movie or even a new game is coming out. They don’t know exactly what the next season will bring in terms of characters and lore. This excitement and the changes is enough to keep pulling players back into the game.
We now know that the next season after Season 3, would bring Epic’s biggest crossover yet, it was a season dedicated to Marvel. The season had a battle pass that was filled with iconic Marvel characters. This all cultivated with players defending the island against Galactus, who opened up the zero point allowing for even bigger events and more crossovers in the future.
Epic has been smart to allow Season 5 to bring in more people through the store, but to bring back their originality through the battle pass. This battle pass, while featuring the Mandalorian, is filled with original characters. I know that we all loved the Marvel season, yet I think it is cool to see original content presented as well.
Even though I do not love every single aspect of Fortnite I am always impressed by their designs and style, I think they have done an amazing job crafting their world. They also have talented artists who are amazing at meshing the guest characters with the games style. These characters never feel out of place or look like they shouldn’t be in the same image with the rest of the Fortnite cast.
I am not a huge fan of Fortnite, I like it, but I don’t feel like I have the time to get really good at it or grind the battle pass. I have played it in the past and truly think that Epic has made a very interesting experience even at times reaching outside of the typical gaming space.
The events and the mode Party Royale has even elevated the game to a place where people can just hang out. It’s still crazy to believe that the tower defense version of Fortnite that was coming out in 2017, was re-engineered into one of the biggest online games ever.
I believe that Fortnite will continue to grow and most likely become something bigger than a game. I think with the addition of these events and Party Royale we have already seen the first steps. While I think the game will always have its battle royale game modes. I wonder if we will see bigger additions to Party Royale, Creative and even new modes that allow for people that just want a relaxing game to play with their friends. I wonder if we will see the addition of more PVE focused modes and activities. Only time will tell, I feel that Fortnite has the potential to shape itself as a hub that many play for totally different reasons. Just as Fortnite pivoted in 2017 to become a battle royale I wonder if we may see it pivot again to become a bigger, more inclusive experience.
