Fortnite
Fortnite
Pokimane donates $50,000 to UCI’s esports program, scholarships
Olivia Richman
Streaming personality Imane “Pokimane” Anys has donated $50,000 to the University of California’s esports program. According to a recent tweet from Pokimane, she’s created the Pokimane Scholarship and is now sponsoring four scholars. The money will create an endowment that will fund tuition and fees for gamers selected by UCI Esports. “I remember being 20k+ in debt while juggling streaming and university, and am so lucky to be where I …
Fortnite
Esports Arena launches Series E League with Fortnite and Smash
Olivia Richman
Esports Arena recently launched Esports Arena Series E, a semi-professional league that will debut in May. Featuring Fortnite and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the league will be located in 18 Walmart Supercenters around the United States. This includes 11 new in-store arenas that will be opening in April with the support of Microsoft Xbox. According to Esports Arena CEO Tyler Endres, Series E is the “next step” in their goal …
Fortnite
Fortnite update 11.50: new engine, Valentine’s Day, and bad bugs
Olivia Richman
Fortnite’s latest patch is already causing controversy. Fortnite players areup in arms after seeing Twitter user Jahlynz’s in-game discovery. According to their tweet from earlier today, “you can walk through fully built walls if you phase them for long enough.” The disgruntled player included a video of the game-breaking bug, seemingly taken from a casual session with friends. In the video, his friends howl in amusement as Jahlynz continuously walks …
Fortnite
Fortnite teases Harley Quinn crossover as Birds of Prey premiers
Olivia Richman
Harley Qinn is coming to Fortnite. Fortnite’s official Twitter account tweeted a teaser image of Harley’s signature mallot. The photo also included the dyed hair she sported in Suicide Squad. “Treat me like a game and I’ll show you how it’s played,” the tweet said, using the hashtag “Harley Quinn.” Last month, the Fortnite Twitter account replied to a video Birds of Prey posted with, “See you soon, Harley.” While …
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
Allied Esports to open esports venue in Mall of Georgia in 2020
Olivia Richman
An esports venue is coming to the Mall of Georgia. Located in Gwinnett County, Georgia, this mall is the first location to house Allied Esports and Simon Property Group’s joint esports venue. Esports fans in the area can expect a retail store in the first half of 2020, although no dates were included with the press release. In the second half of the year, the 13,000 square foot facility will …
New Fortnite game mode Liferun will debut at PAX South with DrLupo
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Fortnite is getting a new custom game mode. Epic Games is debuting “Liferun” at the PAX Arena at PAX South in San Antonio, January 18. That’s when fans will have the chance to join Overwatch League pros on “Liferun” missions during the PAX Pro-Am. From 2 to 6 PM CST, the Houston Outlaws roster, including Shan “Rawkus” Flaherty and Dante “Danteh” Cruz, will take part in the special debut. Big …
Ninja frustrated with Fortnite bugs, begs Epic Games for fixes
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Fortnite superstar Tyler “Ninja” Blevins may be against bad-mouthing popular battle royale Fortnie on social media, but that hasn’t stopped the streamer from raging over the game recently during live broadcasts. Ninja was playing with Timothy “TimTheTatman” Betar when he started noticing some major bugs in the early game. While talking about TimTheTatman getting a tattoo on his “nut sack,” Ninja started looting. But soon the discussion changed from Tim’s …
Ninja rages over Fornite lightsabers, demands Epic remove them
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
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 community asks for buggy lightsabers to be vaulted now
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
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 …
Ninja expresses frustration with YouTube, hopes for new platform
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
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 is Europe’s most played Nintendo Switch title for 2019
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
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” …
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.
