Fortnite
Fortnite
TSM Fortnite streamer Daequan shares personal struggles on video
William Davis
Team SoloMid Fortnite streamer Daequan “Daequan” Loco posted a video explaining his absence from Twitch. The content creator has become significantly less active on social media than he previously was, and detailed why in a 20-minute-long video on YouTube. The reasons are unfortunately numerous. He opened up that in the past couple of months, he had lost family members to illness as well as some friends to gun violence. Unfortunately, his real-life …
Fortnite
Fortnite viewership crashes without Tfue, Ninja on Twitch
Steven Rondina
The landscape of Twitch streaming is starting to shift in a surprising way. Long the most popular game on the platform, Fortnite has seen a profound dip in popularity over recent weeks. The statistics highlight how tumultuous the last few months have been for the game, and the awkward position the game currently finds itself in. As discussed by The Gamer, Fortnite’s average viewership has dropped to its lowest point …
Fortnite
Tfue taking a mental health break from streaming
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
One of the most popular Fortnite streamers and pro players, Turner “Tfue” Tenney, is taking a break from streaming for the sake of his mental health. Fortnite star Tfue is taking time off live streaming and has shared that information with his fans over Twitter. He added that he has been unhappy lately even though he has everything that he needs in his life, but that he has still been …
Fortnite
Fortnite patch 10.30 brings change to Moisty Palms, Greasy Groves
Olivia Richman
Fortnite v10.30 has changed the battle royale’s map once again. This time, the update brings two new rift zones. Moisty Palms and Greasy Grove were fan favorites that Epic is bringing back for Season X. Moisty Mire, the swampy area in the southeast of the map, was removed in Season 5. Its replacement, Paradise Palms, became a favorite landing spot for competitive and casual players alike. Moisty Palms hasn’t come …
Fortnite
Nick Eh 30 to stream exclusively on Twitch following Ninja exit
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
One of the most popular Fortnite YouTube content creators, Nick “Nick Eh 30” Amyoony, has been signed to stream exclusively on Twitch beginning in September. Starting a new chapter as a full-time streamer on Twitch, Nick is looking to move his 4.6 million YouTube subscribers to his new channel on the popular live streaming platform. To support him, Twitch is offering loyalty badges for free to Nick’s fans that have …
Fortnite
Ninja speaks to kids complaining about ping in Fortnite
William Davis
Fortnite streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins had some words for the kids complaining about ping. Ninja posted a clip on Twitter, as in the middle of a game Ninja found a spot to hide and let the audience know his opinion about the kids complaining about ping in Fortnite. “Listen, every single 13 years-old to 18 years-old that is complaining and tweeting about ping. The fact that you even get a …
Fortnite
FaZe Clan player Sway accused of teaming during Fortnite Solo Cash Cup
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
FaZe Clan Fortnite player Josue “Sway” has been accused of cheating during the Solo Cash Cup event. Another player using the handle Sour took to Twitter with a clip accusing Sway of teaming up with another player named Wistles during a Solo Cash Cup match on August 28. The clip shows Sway joining in on a fight between Wistles and Sour, helping Wistles eliminate Sour, and then leaving. Another Twitter …
Fortnite
TSM signs two Fortnite players to compete in Championship Series
Olivia Richman
Team SoloMid is signing two new Fortnite pros. As developer Epic Games continues to expand Fortnite’s tournament scene with the Fortnite Championship Series, TSM is looking to make an even bigger impact on it with two new Fortnite players added to their squad. Emad “EmadGG” Nasif and Theo “Crue” Ferrer are two established players, and the announcement was met fondly on Twitter. According to their official announcement, Emad first made …
Ninja at two million followers with Fortnite streams on Mixer
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Fortnite
Only a few short weeks after making public his decision to leave streaming giant Twitch for Microsoft’s Mixer platform, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has hit two million followers on Mixer. After deciding to leave Twitch and the 14.7 million followers he had gained there in order to stream exclusively on Mixer, Ninja has been satisfied with how things with Mixer are progressing. His first Mixer stream played out on August 2 …
Ninja, Pokimane, and more step away from Fortnite for Minecraft
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Fortnite
Fortnite players have been more than unsatisfied with Season X ever since its first update. Many streamers are leaving the game and turning towards other games like Minecraft, and not even Fortnite’s biggest streamers, including Imane “Pokimane” and Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, are immune from making the switch. The craze started when Epic Games decided to introduce the BRUTE mech, an overpowered vehicle that not even the best players could work …
Dr. Disrespect declares Fortnite “overrated” and “soulless”
M Alzamora
Fortnite
Guy “Dr. Disrespect” Beahm has made it clear: he is unhappy with Fortnite. The battle royale star pleaded with the gaming community to move on from the Epic Games shooter. “Fortnite is the most overrated soulless game in the history of game development,” Dr. Disrespect wrote in an August 28 tweet. Those with a pulse on the Fortnite scene will know he’s talking about some unpopular decisions Epic has made …
New Xbox Game Pass subscribers can now support Mixer streamers
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Fortnite
Purchasing Xbox Game Pass will now allow new users to support their favorite streamers partnered with Mixer, as Microsoft continues to build up their owned streaming platform. Microsoft has announced the new Mixer program with a goal of motivating creators to discover new games and expand their horizons, and at the same time letting their viewers support them through Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. New subscribers to the pass, as well …
Epic Games reverts turbo building nerf after community outrage
William Davis
Fortnite
Epic Games is going back on the turbo building changes introduced in Fortnite patch 10.20. Season X continues to be the most controversial and problematic for the developer. Epic Games has been heavily criticized for adding overpowered items in the game like the BRUTE mech. The most recent patch also changed the turbo building mechanic that allowed players, as the name indicates, to build faster. After the change, the players …
TSM Myth’s big play counters BRUTE mechs with bubble shield
William Davis
Fortnite
Team SoloMid Fortnite player Ali “Myth” Kabbani showed on stream how to use the new bubble shield to counter the infamous BRUTE mech. The bubble shield was introduced in patch 10.20, and it blocks projectiles and explosives for 30 seconds. It can be looted from floor loot, supply drops, vending machines, and chests. On stream, Myth showed viewers how to take full advantage of the bubble shield, especially versus the mech. …
Ninja and Adidas to partner as sports brands invest in gaming
M Alzamora
Fortnite
Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has announced a new partnership with sports apparel brand Adidas. Neither party has disclosed the financial details of the agreement. Ninja teased the announcement on August 26 with a video using Adidas preferred typeface. Samsung uses a similar font, and with the teaser involving a jumbled mess of mobile phone footage as its cornerstone effect. Given that Samsung already has a history of working with Ninja, many …
Epic releases Major Lazer collaboration cosmetic in Fortnite
Fariha Bhatti
Fortnite
Epic Games has released another cosmetics pack for Fortnite, this time containing seven separate cosmetic items. The pack is in collaboration with EDM music group Major Lazer, which the pack is named after. The Major Lazer bundle is now live in the Fortnite Store, and players can buy the entire set for a total of 2,475 V-Bucks. Each of the items is themed in line with the band as part …
Fortnite X Mayhem event brings Borderlands content, new map location
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Borderlands has officially arrived in Fortnite, thanks to a crossover between 2K Games and Epic Games that launched this morning. The Fortnite x Mayhem event comes with a new map location, known as The Pandora Rift Zone. As shown in a new trailer, players that enter Pandora are transported to a Borderlands-style location in the game’s iconic art style. More importantly, the Pandora Rift Zone brings a new element to …
Fortnite pro Ninja gives opinion on violent video game debate
M Alzamora
Fortnite
For those wondering where Tyler “Ninja” Blevins stands on gun violence and its root cause, he can’t tell you what it is, but he does have an opinion on what it isn’t: video games. Catching up with Ninja on the street, TMZ Sports wanted the Fortnite pro’s thoughts on the Donald Trump administration’s stance against video games in the face of increasing gun violence in America. “What’s violent about Minecraft …
Fortnite patch 10.20 nerfs BRUTE, introduces Shield Bubble
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Fortnite
Fortnite patch 10.20 is live with the Fortnite X Mayhem event, a new shield item, further changes to the BRUTE mech, and more. With Borderlands 3 releasing in just a few weeks, Epic Games is hyping up players by making a location near Paradise Palms into a Borderlands-themed rift zone. The Pandora Rift Zone, as the name suggests, is made based on the Borderlands’ Pandora planet. When not in …
Fortnite star Ninja faces JuJu Smith-Schuster on Family Feud
M Alzamora
Fortnite
Tyler “Ninja” Blevins appeared on the August 25 episode of Celebrity Family Feud. He shared the stage with his friend and fellow gamer JuJu Smith-Schuster, who also happens to be a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The episode, which was recorded in February, aired on ABC. It can be found in its entirety on streaming platforms ABC Go and Hulu. Comprising “Team Ninja“ were Ninja, his wife Jessica Blevins, …
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.
