Fortnite
Fortnite
Fortnite streamer banned on Twitch after child rape arrest
Olivia Richman
Brazilian Fortnite streamer Raulino “RaulZito” de Oliveira Maciel has been arrested on allegations of raping two children. According to police, the victims are between 10 and 14 years old. Exact ages were not disclosed in the police report. RaulZito was arrested on July 27. Despite this, the streamer strangely remained on Twitch until August 12, at which point he was banned. RaulZito still remains a Twitch Partner, suggesting the ban …
Fortnite
Pop singer Ariana Grande coming to Fortnite with Rift Tour
Fariha Bhatti
Popstar Ariana Grande is the next star to grace Fortnite with a concert named the Rift Tour. Fortnite had various popular musicians and singers bring their talent to the Fortnite realm, but Ariana Grande will be the biggest name so far to enter the virtual universe. The star singer shared a dramatic teaser of her glamorous outfit from the Rift Tour on Twitter. ???? #rifttour august 6-8@FortniteGame https://t.co/Mlf5Xpl9HO pic.twitter.com/pTgLJ7e67O — …
Fortnite
Fortnite introduces new Plasma Cannon in latest patch v17.21
Fariha Bhatti
Epic Games has rolled out a brand new weapon dubbed the Plasma Cannon to the Invasion in Chapter 2 Season 7. Fortnite’s arsenal hasn’t seen a notable update in a long time. The developer has finally decided to surprise its fans with a new alien tech in its v17.21 mini-update released on July 27. The sleek Plasma Cannon is tiny, but it’s capable of insane damage. The Battle Royale’s v17.20 …
Fortnite
Bugha gets Icon skin in Fortnite including World Cup cosmetic variation
Fariha Bhatti
The winner of the 2019 Fortnite World Cup Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf is finally getting his own Icon series, joining Ninja, Loserfruit, TheGrefg, and Lachlan in this select group. Epic Games has previously merged pop culture with Fortnite’s virtual world in the form of costumes for Batman, the Avengers, and John Wick. This time, the company is paying homage to the winner of the only Fortnite World Cup Bugha with a …
Fortnite
Fortnite x NBA event confirmed with NBA skins and tournament
Steven Rondina
Fortnite is set to feature another huge collaboration. Epic Games has announced a crossover event between Fortnite and the NBA. “Fortnite x NBA: The Crossover” will see custom skin sets for each NBA team released in Fortnite. Alongside this will be other unique offerings tailored around specific big-name players who happen to be fans of Fortnite. This confirmed part of previous leaks from the Epic Games vs. Apple lawsuit. Lace …
Fortnite
Fortnite getting NBA-themed mini game, LeBron James skin
Olivia Richman
Epic Games shared an internal presentation that revealed a Fortnite road map full of collaborations, skins, and game modes. As the Epic v. Apple trial continues, the game developer has shared a quarterly business review from June 2020, outlining the battle royale’s current state, future plans, and strategic priorities. One of the most interesting and innovative changes that developers have been planning is a partnership with the NBA. The presentation …
Fortnite
Fortnite has made an astonishing amount of money for Epic Games
Steven Rondina
Everyone knows that Fortnite has been an enormous hit for Epic Games, but fans are only now learning just how big of a hit it really is. Epic is currently in the middle of a critical lawsuit with Apple over the iOS version of the game. As is standard with legal battles, both sides of the courtroom need to provide certain information and documents to the court which are then …
Fortnite
Here is how you can celebrate Star Wars Day in Fortnite
Olivia Richman
You can now celebrate May 4 in an epic way by playing Fortnite on Star Wars Day. This new in-game event will celebrate the Star Wars community’s holiday by bringing back skins, cosmetics, and items from past seasons that allow players to experience the force. In Season 6, the Primal theme added simplicity to Fortnite. Before that, it wasn’t uncommon to receive Star Wars cosmetics and rewards in-game. The latest …
Nickmercs reveals that he is now a FaZe Clan co-owner
Olivia Richman
News
Streamer Nick “Nickmercs” Kolcheff is no longer just a content creator for FaZe Clan. He is now a part-owner of the popular esports organization. The rumor began when The Verge introduced Nickmercs as “part-owner” of FaZe Clan within an article about the popular Fortnite personality. At the time, FaZe Clan and Nickmercs had not publicly confirmed the alleged ownership but Nickmercs decided to make a comment about the rumor the …
Is the Fortnite World Cup happening this year in 2021?
Steven Rondina
Fortnite
Global lockdowns and travel restrictions have hit every esport in different ways. Some quickly adjusted and returned to something resembling normalcy, as has been the case with League of Legends. Others saw a mass exodus of notable organizations and prominent players. Fortnite was most certainly in the latter camp. Many of the game’s most prominent names have transitioned into being variety streamers, but even some of Fortnite’s most successful esports …
Rocket Launcher, Cuddle Fish vaulted from Fortnite competitive
Steven Rondina
Fortnite
Fortnite’s competitive scene is in for a big change when it comes to the game’s explosive weaponry. Epic Games has announced that Rocket Launchers, Mechanical Explosive Bows, and Cuddle Fish are all vaulted out of competitive Fortnite playlists. This effectively nixes every explosive weapon from the game with the exception of the standard issue grenade. Boom Boom????. Buh-bye ????We’ve made the decision to remove the following items from competitive playlists:Rocket …
#RipFortnite trends on Twitter after Epic goes after Clix
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
The Fortnite community has become obsessed with betting on matches between two talented pros in a custom lobby. This has become especially important for Fortnite streamers to rake in some dough and create content now that there are a lot fewer official events. But Epic has started to crack down on this popular pastime when it involves underaged players. Cody “Clix” Conrad has been involved in a lot of wagered …
Fortnite Season 6 brings new maps, wolves, and Neymar to arena
Fariha Bhatti
Fortnite
Fortnite’s Season 6 is upon us, and it brings tons of exciting in-game cosmetics, video game characters including Lara Croft, Raven from Teen Titans, and keenly awaited football star Neymar Jr.’s exclusive skin. The new season dubbed “Primal” kicked off on March 16, and it requires players to help Agent Jones stop reality from collapsing. The scenery sees tons of changes and the addition of new stuff to discover. Season …
Fortnite trio disqualified from FNCS after threatening Epic CCO
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
A competitive trio has been disqualified from the Fortnite Championship Series after one of its players told Epic Games’ chief creative officer to kill himself. Dictate, Userz, and Wrigley were preparing to compete in the FNCS’ NA East tournament this weekend. But the trio was disqualified earlier today after Wrigley told Epic Games’ CCO, Donald Mustard, to “fucking kill yourself.” The tweet, along with Wrigley’s entire account, has since been …
Cloakzy officially leaves FaZe Clan after four years
Fariha Bhatti
Fortnite
Dennis “Cloakzy” Lepore has finally parted ways with FaZe Clan after lengthy contractual disputes between the two parties. The former captain for FaZe Clan’s Fortnite roster and more recent Call of Duty: Warzone content creator has announced his official exit from FaZe Clan after a four-year stint with the organization. The streamer’s time with FaZe Clan has been splattered with controversies and drama since the beginning of 2019. However, Croakzy …
SypherPK begs Epic Games to slow down Fortnite crossovers
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Fortnite streamer Ali “SypherPK” Hassan is sick of the battle royale’s constant crossovers. For the past few seasons, Fortnite has been heavy on its crossovers, including GI Joe, Alien, DC, Borderlands, John Wick, Halo, Ninja, and Marvel. Fortnite has also featured concerts with popular singers and even movie showings. Season 5 has been focused on these crossovers, bringing players tons of cosmetics but not many new items or meaningful changes …
Fortnite data miners claim Ant-Man is the next new Marvel skin
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Leakers have found something huge in Fortnite’s files. But it’s also very small. Fortnite fans love nothing more than data mining for upcoming cosmetics and events in the ever-popular battle royale. This time, data miners have found evidence that they believe means Ant-Man will be the next Marvel hero to get a character skin. For the past few weeks, Fortnite fans have seen portals opening up around the map. The …
Fortnite and Street Fighter collab brings Ryu, Chun-Li skins
Steven Rondina
Fortnite
Fortnite Episode 2 Chapter 5 has seen the game transformed into what has been accurately described as a “pop culture singularity.” Fortnite has drawn in and absorbed many of the hottest things in movies, television, and video games. With Fortnite’s 15th season already adding Kratos from God of War, the Master Chief from Halo, the main character of The Mandalorian, Daryl and Michonne from The Walking Dead, and the T-800 …
Fornite’s Hearts Wild update brings new outfits, duo cup, more
Fariha Bhatti
Fortnite
Epic Games has always been keen on keeping up with trends and festivals. The developer has now rolled out a new update, revealing Hearts Wild as a new event in Fortnite to celebrate Valentine’s day. The dark landscape of Fortnite following the tragic zero-point event will finally get something more positive from the developers in the form of a “lovely” makeover. The Hearts Wild update will shower the battlegrounds with …
Ninja may be quitting Fortnite over “clout-chasing losers”
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Streaming megastar Tyler “Ninja” Blevins went back to his roots and played Fortnite in a recent stream, but he quickly came to regret that decision. Ninja even said he may never play the battle royale again. During a live stream, Ninja started complaining about getting stream sniped four games in a row. While Ninja was distracted in a fight, the other player would run up and kill him. Ninja got …
Fortnite has come a long way over the course of the game’s lifespan. What began as an upstart early-access title with base-building mechanics would eventually transform into the world’s most popular and lucrative video game, capturing the attention of millions upon millions of players across the world and entering into the mainstream cultural lexicon.
But how exactly did that happen? How did one of many games released by developer Epic Games manage to transform in real-time into something with such potential, and to what extent did Fortnite really grow? The answers are indicative of what it takes for a game to go from new and struggling to becoming a global phenomenon.
The original vision for Fortnite was very different compared to the game that is so widely popular today. Developers at Epic Games intended to create a game that would merge base-building mechanics with the popular shooting gameplay that the company was best known for, from its experience releasing such titles those found in the Unreal Tournament and Gears of War franchises.
While that vision was altered even prior to Fortnite’s initial release, with a darker creative look becoming brighter and more reminiscent of children’s cartoons, the first release of Fortnite did feature that original focus. Titled Fortnite: Saves the World, this was a paid early-access release that met moderate fanfare and player enthusiasm.
A follow-up release would do far better. That follow-up was Fortnite Battle Royale, a free-to-play version of the game that featured the core mechanics and experience players most associate with the Fortnite name today. The battle royale game mode, thrown together in just a couple of months by developers, was at the time a relatively new concept. A multitude of players would be dropped onto one map to do battle with each other, accruing resources and weaponry in an open-world environment to better equip themselves for combat. Eventually, the game’s playable map size would shrink over time, forcing players to engage with each other until only one winning player was left standing.
It’s a simple concept, but in 2017 it was fresh and new. Players quickly flocked to try this early battle royale game, and within weeks of its free-to-play release, Fortnite Battle Royale was playing host to millions of players.
First and foremost, the success of Fortnite can be seen in the extreme revenue numbers generated by the game for maker Epic Games. Just a few short years after its release, Fortnite had already led to billions of dollars in revenue for Epic. This success was enough to send reverberations throughout the entire video game industry. Dozens of clones would follow, trying to recapture the battle royale magic that Fortnite had so successfully crystallized, but it proved difficult for most.
Money wasn’t the only marker of the game’s ascendance, however. Fortnite broached popular mainstream culture in a way that few video games ever have. Popular streamer and former Halo pro Tyler “Ninja” Blevins was at the fore of this wave of popularity, co-streaming with rap superstar Drake and appearing on numerous television talk shows to discuss the game and the craze surrounding it. Popular musicians beyond Drake also got involved with the game, as Travis Scott and Marshmello hosted live, in-game concerts to both popular and critical acclaim.
The Fortnite World Cup raised the game’s profile even further in some circles. Held at the famous Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City, the event awarded $3 million to 16-year-old phenom Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, who then found himself paraded through mainstream media circles just as Ninja had been before him.
While its apex may have come and gone, Fortnite remains one of the most popular and successful games in the world today, continuing to play host to many millions of players while generating major revenues for Epic Games.
