Fortnite
Fortnite
Fortnite Season 5 update introduces golden bars and the Mandalorian
Fariha Bhatti
After a record-breaking Galactus event that garnered a peak of 15.3 million concurrent players, Epic Games has finally revealed the details about Chapter 2 Season 5. The latest season, titled “Zero Point,” includes new weapons, bars, and significant map changes. Fortnite’s Season 5 is anything but ordinary. The developer succeeded to break its own record of 12.3 million concurrent players during the Travis Scott concert in April (and the 10.7 …
Fortnite
Fortnite Season 5 leak hints at another new Black Hole event
Olivia Richman
Remember when Fortnite completely disappeared for Epic’s “The End” event? Season X didn’t just end. The game was completely taken down as a result. The servers were gone. The website was gone. And the official Fortnite Twitch channel was nothing but a black hole, which many thousands of viewers stared at in anticipation. Well, it’s looking like Epic might be planning another Black Hole type of event for Fortnite Season …
Fortnite
72-year-old Twitch streamer OldBuzzardt passes away
Olivia Richman
It’s a sad day for the Fortnite community. 72-year-old Twitch streamer OldBuzzardt has passed away. With over 80,000 followers, the Fortnite streamer had a loyal audience. He even had his own Creator Code in the popular battle royale. The streamer, who went by Buzz, went live almost every day for about five hours to chat with fans and play Fortnite. Just went live! https://t.co/Whi7XKX3Xs — Oldbuzzardt (@oldbuzzardt) October 19, 2020 …
Fortnite
Ninja signs exclusive deal with Hollywood talent agency CAA
Olivia Richman
Streaming superstar Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is making his first big step towards a career in Hollywood. Ninja recently signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for representation in all areas, according to The Hollywood Reporter. CAA states that it represents “storytellers, trendsetters, icons, and thought leaders who shape popular culture” across film, digital media, and sports. CAA represents thousands of the world’s “leading actors, directors, writers, producers, comedians, authors, athletes, chefs, …
Fortnite
Is Fortnite still growing? Are people still playing it?
Olivia Richman
Fortnite fans were excited when Tyler “Ninja” Blevins returned to Twitch earlier this year. But the streaming sensation mostly switched to Valorant soon after. While Valorant, Among Us, and Fall Guys have been taking over the streaming scene, Fortnite fans may feel like the battle royale is losing its following and players. Even though it’s now sharing more of the streaming spotlight than before, Fortnite has consistently been a popular …
Fortnite
Gen.G putting together special Fortnite event Mystic Map Mayhem
Steven Rondina
Gen.G is set to host a fun and unique Fortnite event. The esports organization is putting together Mystic Map Mayhem, a unique tournament that will pit players against each other in a series of custom maps across “14 nights of Fortnite.” The event will be hosted in conjunction with Samsung, a company Gen.G has a history of working with. Third-party Fortnite events have been put together in a number of …
Fortnite
Cloud9 Fortnite roster recruitments continue, Nosh joins second
Fariha Bhatti
Cloud9 is rejoining the Fortnite scene with Nosh being the second addition to its roster. The North American organization announced the news on Twitter with a video montage featuring Nosh’s in-game highlights. Nosh will be joining fellow countryman Avery “Avxry” LoPriore, who is also a new addition to Cloud9. The announcement of his recruitment was followed by Axvry’s arrival into the Cloud9 Fortnite roster. “The second member of #C9FN NA …
Fortnite
Everything you need to know about Fortnite pro Bugha
Olivia Richman
After winning the Fortnite World Cup, Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf became a millionaire and a household name. But before Epic’s big $30 million Fortnite tournament, Bugha was playing Fortnite for Sentinels. He was pretty well known in the Fortnite community since he was so talented at the game. Still, nobody would have guessed he would win the tournament. Except perhaps for Bugha himself. Today’s the day — Bugha (@bugha) July 28, …
Was Jarvis banned again after return to Fortnite on Twitch?
gabhernandez
Fortnite
Former Fortnite professional FaZe Jarvis returned to streaming Fortnite only to get banned again. The streamer geared up to play Fortnite on Twitch after a yearlong hiatus from the game, but Epic Games had other plans. The streamer was originally pumped about returning to Fortnite. “It’s been nearly a year since Epic banned me. Tonight @ 6PM PST I’m playing Fortnite for the first time back on Twitch. See you …
Ninja joins shroud in returning to Twitch after Mixer closure
Steven Rondina
Fortnite
Tyler “Ninja” Blevins’ time as a streaming free agent has come to an end. The popular Fortnite player announced that he is officially set to return to Twitch. This comes after an extended stretch that saw him without a permanent home after Mixer’s closure. To new beginnings. @ninja pic.twitter.com/UbBSDwezvy — Twitch (@Twitch) September 10, 2020 No details on the deal were revealed. Ninja’s slow return to Twitch likely stems from …
Tfue streams for first time since leaving FaZe Clan
Steven Rondina
Fortnite
Turner “Tfue” Tenney has streamed for the first time since splitting from FaZe Clan. The Fortnite star turned variety streamer jumped onto Twitch on Wednesday night for some Call of Duty: Warzone. Though the stream came a short time after a critical victory in Tfue’s career, fans hoping for him to blast FaZe Clan and celebrate wildly were instead met with a low-key but generally positive stream. Despite also being …
FaZe Ewok opens up about being groomed and sexually harassed
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Fortnite pro Soleil “Ewok” Wheeler has come forward with grooming allegations against an anonymous predator. Ewok is a well-known deaf Fortnite personality who was signed with FaZe Clan when she was only 13 years old. The first female FaZe Clan member has over 300,000 followers on Twitch. While most people watch her play for her skills and positive personality, there are unfortunately some people who have shown to have had …
Fortnite Season 4 trailer confirms new Marvel Comics crossover
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Fortnite has just revealed that Marvel Comics characters returning to the popular battle royale. On Twitter, the official Fortnite account shared a vague 12-second video that hinted that Marvel’s return won’t just be skins and limited-time modes. There is also a story that explains how popular Marvel heroes ended up within the game. The Herald has found The Island.The prelude to War has begun. Experience Part 1 in-game now…#FortniteSeason4 8.27.2020 …
Twitch streamer TimTheTatman finally won a game in Fall Guys
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Streamer Timothy John “TimTheTatman” Betar has finally won a single game of Fall Guys. And yes, that’s big news. Even Fall Guys recognized the momentous achievement, calling it one of the “biggest gaming moments of our lifetimes” on Twitter. WE JUST WITNESSED ONE OF THE BIGGEST GAMING MOMENTS OF OUR LIFETIMESFOR YEARS TO COME, PEOPLE WILL BE ASKING EACH OTHER:”Where were you when @timthetatman got the dub?!?” pic.twitter.com/zVrENcdcpS — Fall Guys …
Despite money flex, Ninja can’t keep up in Fall Guys bidding war
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Fall Guys may not be as competitively viable as Fortnite, but the new battle royale is creating quite the competition on Twitter. In a bid to raise money for Special Effect, a UK-based charity that supports gamers with disabilities around the world, Fall Guys is offering an in-game skin created for the person who donates the most to the cause. One of the first big donations came from G2 Esports, …
Epic Games CEO reveals why they are suing Apple and Google
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney discussed his company’s lawsuit with Apple and Google. Google and Apple removed Fortnite from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store when Epic Games gave players the option to pay for their V-Bucks directly through the app instead of through the stores. Mobile players were offered the choice to purchase 1,000 V-Bucks directly from Epic for $7.99 or pay $9.99 for the same amount …
This is why Fortnite was removed from Google & Apple app stores
Steven Rondina
Fortnite
Three of the biggest companies in gaming are facing off in a battle that could change the entire industry. Apple and Google are engaged in a fight with Fortnite publisher Epic Games that has seen the wildly popular battle royale banned from app stores. This is leading to legal action that could see Apple and Google’s strangleholds over mobile developers permanently cemented, or a redefinition of how in-app purchases work. …
Fortnite player hacks into FNCS finals, criticizes anti-cheat
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
A Fortnite player using an aimbot hack qualified for the Fortnite Championship Series Chapter 2 Season 3 finals. The North American player, nicknamed Kona, claimed they made their cheating as obvious as possible to prove just how bad Fortnite’s anti-cheat is. They even streamed themselves using the aimbot on Twitch during the tournament. When asked about using the hacks, Kona stated during their stream that they were “sacrificing the account” …
Tfue reveals the reason why he hasn’t been streaming Fortnite
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Turner “Tfue” Tenney’s fans have noticed that the popular streamer has been playing a lot of Call of Duty: Warzone, and not much Fortnite. With over 8.85 million followers, Tfue has become quite famous on Twitch for his Fortnite streams. So a lot of his fans have been wondering why he’s decided to start playing a first-person shooter title instead of the popular third-person battle royale, especially when it was …
Ninja returns to stream on Twitch, but is he back for good?
Olivia Richman
News
Ever since Mixer shut down, Tyler “Ninja” Blevin’s fans have been wondering what the Fortnite superstar was going to do next. Ninja has been busy since Mixer’s shutdown. The streamer revealed that he was pursuing a career in Hollywood. His fans also appreciated Ninja’s new shoe line with Adidas. But they still had a burning question: where was Ninja going to stream now? Would he return to streaming at all? …
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.
