Fortnite
Fortnite
Big names in Fortnite set to compete in Summer Smash Pro-Am
Olivia Richman
Fortnite Summer Smash Pro-Am charity event has popular battle royale personalities competing to donate $100,000 to the cause of their choice. The Fortnite Summer Smash tournament is taking place at the Australian Open 2020 on February 1. Thirty trio teams will be competing, bringing the biggest names in Australia’s Fortnite scene together for a good cause. The following day, 90 top Fortnite players will compete for a chunk of the …
Fortnite
Here’s how much money the Epic Games Store made in 2019
William Davis
The Epic Games Store has seen massive growth over the course of the year. Despite a rocky start full of security issues and pushback from gamers, the Epic Games Store attracted an estimated 108 million store customers. That figure comes from Epic Games in a blog post, with the publisher also flaunting how gamers spent approximately $680 million on the Epic Games Store during the year. $251 million of this …
Fortnite
Valkyrae leaves Twitch for YouTube, contract details revealed
Olivia Richman
One of Twitch’s most popular female streamers, Rachel “Valkyrae” Hofstetter, has signed an exclusive deal with YouTube. The 100 Thieves influencer revealed the news on her Twitter with a short video that was later uploaded to YouTube. “You’ve watched me grow into the person I am today. And I’m so excited to keep moving forward. It’s time for the next chapter. Are you ready for something new?” she asked, alluding to …
Fortnite
Ninja Fortnite skin revealed, release date announced on Mixer
Steven Rondina
Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has been immortalized in Fortnite in a surprising way. Ninja revealed the skin on his Mixer channel, which was followed by Fortnite data miners unearthing the details on social media. Ninja stated the skin will be made available on Fortnite’s in-game shop on January 16. Fans can see the skin in action by sifting through clips from Ninja’s latest stream. “I’ve always dreamt of having a skin …
Fortnite
Ninja rages over Fornite lightsabers, demands Epic remove them
Olivia Richman
Fortnite streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is joining fans in demanding Epic Games vault lightsabers early. During a recent livestream, Ninja ran into a lightsaber-wielding opponent who easily outmaneuvered the famous Mixer streamer thanks to the limited time weapon’s teleportation glitch. Upon being eliminated in the end game, Ninja lost his patience. “Bro, what the fuck. He’s not even on me!” Ninja yelled. Ninja’s duo partner, Mason “Symfunhy” Lanier, added that he …
Fortnite
Fortnite community asks for buggy lightsabers to be vaulted now
Olivia Richman
Lightsabers are the latest OP Fortnite weapon that players want banned. January 7 can’t come soon enough for Fortnite fans who can no longer tolerate the limited time weapon. The Star Wars inspired weapon has been a part of Chapter 2 for some time now, but many players have started calling the lightsaber “game breaking” due to a bug allowing players to teleport. One Reddit user clipped a video of …
Fortnite
Ninja expresses frustration with YouTube, hopes for new platform
Olivia Richman
It’s not only Twitch that Fortnite streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins wants to see overthrown by a new platform. In a recent stream, the Mixer streamer expressed that he wanted a new video platform to take on and potentially wipe out YouTube. While playing Fortnite with Tim “TimeTheTatman” Betar, Dennis “Cloakzy” Lepore, and Jack “CouRage” Dunlop, Ninja explained his perspective while remaining sensitive to CouRage, who recently announced he was streaming …
Fortnite
Fortnite is Europe’s most played Nintendo Switch title for 2019
Olivia Richman
When you hear Nintendo Switch, you probably think Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, or maybe even The Legend of Zelda. Nintendo released a list of the top 20 Switch games in Europe and, surprisingly, the most played Switch title in Europe in all of 2019 was actually Fortnite. Based on the amount of time played on data-enabled accounts, the free-to-play battle royale beat a lot of exclusive Nintendo titles, including second-place …
Bao Bros skin is finally available in the Fortnite Item Shop
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Gamers no longer have to chant “Release the Bao Bros” because Epic Games has finally moved forward and released them. “Steamed up and ready for action. The Bao Bros are now available in the Item Shop!” Fortnite tweeted yesterday. It was a short and sweet message that seemed a little underwhelming to a Fortnite community that has been waiting for the Bao Bros skin since it was leaked in May. A …
Ninja deletes controversial tweet before Time In sneaker launch
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Looks like Fortnite superstar Tyler “Ninja” Blevins recently made an accidental faux pas. A Twitch streamer known as Connor Eats Pants was playing Animal Crossing a few days ago when he noticed something strange on his Twitter feed. He told his followers that he saw a strange tweet from Ninja, but when he tried to click on the tweet it appeared to have been deleted. “And I was like, ‘Oh, why …
Fortnite leak reveals new 2020 New Years weapon skins
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
As always, Fortnite’s upcoming holiday event has been leaked. Infamous Fortnite laker Lucas7yoshi has confirmed that Epic Games is planning to bring a small update to the popular battle royale come New Years. The biggest draws are the two weapon wraps, New Year 2020 and Star Party. “There will be a New Years event this year, to the surprise of no one. I don’t really see anything that looks different …
Epic Games CEO hints that Fortnite has big changes in the future
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Fortnite developers are hinting at something big coming to the game. Earlier this week, one Twitter user asked Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney if he viewed Fortnite as a game or a platform. “Fortnite is a game,” Sweeney responded. “But please ask again in 12 months.” After his cryptic tweet, another Twitter user challenged Sweeney by saying that Fortnite was a social platform in the sense that “kids …
Dakotaz defends his stance on Fortnite after blocking Ninja
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Twitch streamer Brett “Dakotaz” Hoffman has blocked fellow Fortnite player Tyler “Ninja” Blevins after the two kept clashing over the popular battle royale’s community. On December 20, Ninja shared a video on Twitter in which he encouraged players to stop criticizing Fortnite and just enjoy other games instead. He explained that content creators have more power than they think, and posting on social media that a game sucks “without content” …
Fortnite star Ninja announces launch date for Time In Adidas shoes
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Looking for some kicks to match your Ninja headband? You’re in luck. On December 31, Adidas is launching a line of sneakers in collaboration with Fortnite phenomenon Tyler “Ninja” Blevins. The old school design sports Ninja’s signature blue and gold color scheme, although in a far more understated way this time around. Ninja’s logo is on the inside of the left shoe, while the right side shoe says “Time In” …
These are the highest esports earnings in Fortnite in 2019
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
No esport is growing faster than Fortnite. The Fortnite World Cup not only had a $30 million prize pool, but wooed the mainstream media in a way no other game has. The public has become fascinated by the game as older demographics finally start to wake up to the fact that video games aren’t just a fun hobby, but something that takes legitimate skill and can make talented players real money. And …
Twitch streamer arrested for abusing toddler on live broadcast
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
A Twitch streamer was arrested for abusing her toddler on a live broadcast earlier this month. A since deleted tweet of the clip showed TTV_MajesticUnicorn roughly tossing her child around and even biting him in one shocking instance. The clip’s description alleged that she was frustrated with the baby for interrupting her eight-hour Fortnite session. The 31-year-old was charged with one count of assault for the offense. She is scheduled …
How to participate in Fortnite’s new Star Wars premiere event
William Davis
Fortnite
Fornite developer and publisher Epic Games has joined forces with Walt Disney Studios to give Fortnite fans a preview of the upcoming film Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. The Fortnite & Star Wars crossover event began November 14 during which the iconic Stormtrooper costume was added to Fortnite’s in-game store in celebration of the launch of the recent video game Jedi: Fallen Order. It turns out that …
Dr Lupo, timthetatman, LIRIK to announce new deals with Twitch
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
At a time when many big name streamers are leaving Twitch for competing broadcast platforms, one leak has come as a surprise to the gaming community. According to esports journalist Rod “Slasher” Breslau, popular streamers Dr Lupo, timethetatman, and LIRIK will be announcing later today that they are signing multi-year Twitch deals today. Slasher followed up the tweet by claiming the deals are for “millions of dollars per year,” according …
FaZe Banks opens up about Jarvis’ future with FaZe Clan
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Ever since Frazier “FaZe Jarvis” Kaye was permanently banned from Fortnite for using an aimbot hack, FaZe Clan owner Ricky Banks has been quite vocal about Epic’s decision. Now, Banks is opening up about Jarvis’ future with the organization and within the battle royale game he was forced to leave. Speaking to TMZ, Banks stated that the chances of Jarvis playing Fortnite is “zero.” Still, there’s “potential” in Jarvis creating …
Fortnite streamer Daequan reveals 2020 plans, opens up on hardship
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
For a while, it was starting to look like Fortnite pro Daequan “Daequan” Loco was leaving the streaming scene. His once daily YouTube uploads had ceased and it was hard to catch one of his sporatic live streams. This weekend, Daequan revealed that he’d be coming back with more content in 2020. “I’m slowly getting back into the swing of things as 2019 winds down. I will be in 100% …
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.
