Fortnite
Fortnite
Fortnite leak reveals new sniper rifle, possible wild west redesign
M Alzamora
Judging from some recent Fortnite leaks, an intriguing new weapon is coming and one of the most iconic locales in the game is set for a big overhaul. Prominent Fortnite leakster “Lucas7yoshi” has uncovered evidence of a brand new sniper rifle in the game’s files. The data suggests that the gun will set itself apart from other weapons by offering a long-distance scope alongside rapid fire potential. The gun has …
Fortnite
Friday Fortnite sees Ninja and Bugha team up, take out Ewok
Fariha Bhatti
Tyler “Ninja” Blevins and Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf teamed up in the latest edition of Friday Fortnite. The popular streamer and gaming celebrity remains a big name in the Fortnite scene and was able to draw in his latest high-profile partner for the event. Unlike previous teammates that were picked on name value, Bugha proved his bona fides by winning the Fortnite World Cup solo championship. In their first match, the …
Fortnite
Sceptic breaks up with Fortnite World Cup duo partner, leaves Misfits
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Misfits Gaming is breaking up with one of its original Fortnite players. The organization bid farewell to Griffin “Sceptic” Spikoski following the Fortnite World Cup Finals. Sceptic decided to leave in order to explore new opportunities following the completion of his one-year contract. He joined the team in August 2018. “Sceptic, you’ll always be a part of the Misfits family and we’re incredibly excited to see what the future holds …
Fortnite
Fortnite World Champions Aqua and Nyhrox end duos partnership
Nina Forneloza
After the biggest win in their careers, Fortnite Duo World Champions David “Aqua” Wang and Emil “Nyhrox” Berquist Pedersen have announced that their successful partnership will come to an end in a shocking announcement made on Twitter. They will both continue competing with new partners in future duos events. The duo scored 51 points during the six games of the final, and the players, who are 16 and 17 years …
Bugha targeted during streams after Fortnite World Cup win
M Alzamora
Fortnite
Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf woke up and won $3 million in one day. His return to streaming has been almost as eventful as that Fortnite World Cup victory. Thousands of viewers tuned in to watch Bugha play his first few games as the reigning world champion. His stream had already been decently popular for someone of his newness, but the World Cup win spiked interest as onlookers yearned to learn from …
FaZe Clan files countersuit against Tfue, claiming breach of contract
Steven Rondina
Fortnite
The legal battle between Turner “Tfue” Tenney and FaZe Clan is kicking into a higher gear. According to a report by TMZ, the organization is filing suit in New York’s federal court against Tfue, claiming breach of contract, and that he “damaged the brand” in his attempt to split from the organization. TMZ did not release the court filing, but their report states Tfue has made over $20 million since …
Ninja announces he will be leaving Twitch to stream on Mixer full time
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Fortnite streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins announced he is leaving Twitch to stream exclusively on Mixer. Ninja announced his departure from Twitch on Twitter, calling it his “next chapter.” He tweeted a follow-up video right after, letting his fans know how excited he is about the move. “I’m honestly at a loss for words. I’m freaking out in the best ways. I feel like I’m going to get back to the …
Tfue blames Fortnite World Cup audio for his lack of eliminations
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Many were shocked by the poor Fortnite World Cup Solo Finals performance of Turner “Tfue” Tenney. The FaZe Clan player was able to consistently start in his prefered zone, The Block, but placed 67th after only scoring seven points. But now Tfue is saying that he wasn’t completely at fault for that forgettable showing. Speaking on Twitch, he discussed missing at least one opportunity to kill another player due to …
Fortnite World Cup winner Bugha talks esports with Jimmy Fallon
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Following in the footsteps of famous actors, politicians, and singers, Fortnite World Cup Solo winner Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf went on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to discuss the event and his sudden rise to celebrity. The 16-year-old millionaire represented esports well on camera. Fallon started out the night by placing the apparently heavy championship trophy on his desk. He asked Bugha what he plans to do with the trophy, and the …
Fortnite World Cup attracts over 2 million viewers for solo finals
Nina Forneloza
Fortnite
The viewership figures for the Fortnite World Cup have been calculated and they are impressive. While the first-place performance of Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf earned a record-breaking $3 million payout, that wasn’t the only record that got broken at the event. According to a tweet by Rod “Slasher” Breslau, viewership for the event reached over 2 million. That makes it the largest ever concurrent audience for a single esports event. The …
Dusty Depot, Visitor, and more could return in Fortnite Season 10
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Fortnite
Fortnite’s Season 10 was teased during the final day of the Fortnite World Cup Finals in New York. Along with the announcement of the Fortnite Championship Series, Epic Games has teased the upcoming season of Fortnite with an image that suggests the return of the Dusty Depot. A day later another image was published, and it seems to show the return of The Visitor. The first image teaser shows what …
Young Fortnite streamer Ewok signs on with FaZe Clan
William Davis
Fortnite
13 year-old Fortnite player Soleil “Ewok” Wheeler has joined FaZe Clan. The best Fornite players in the world were gathered in New York City for the Fortnite World Cup. Just hours after the official duos tournament concluded, FaZe Clan made an exciting announcement: Ewok had officially joined the organization. Ewok is not only the first deaf Fortnite player to make it to the big stage, she’s also the first …
Bugha makes top 10 esports earners list after Fortnite World Cup win
Nina Forneloza
Fortnite
16-year-old Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf became a millionaire in a single afternoon by winning the Fortnite World Cup solo player prize of $3 million. By winning that single event he has also instantly worked his way into the tenth position on the list of all-time esports earners. The top 30 names on the list now contain Bugha and one other Fortnite player in Harrison “Psalm” Chang, who ranks at number 27. …
Fortnite bug kicking players while reviving teammates investigated
M Alzamora
Fortnite
Developer Epic Games will soon fix a bug that boots you straight out of a Fortnite game when you try to revive a fallen teammate. Footage of the bug on Reddit shows someone tries to pick their friend up, but instead of a lengthy channeling animation leading to their saving the day, a succinct message informs the player that they’ve eliminated themselves. This issue hasn’t generated the same level of …
Elimination of notorious Fortnite cheater excites crowd at World Cup
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Fans in the Fortnite World Cup audience cheered so loud when Damion “XXiF” Cook was eliminated that the audio had to be muted. Earlier this year, XXiF was found guilty of cheating by Epic Games during a World Cup qualifiers match. Though he was initially stripped of his spot in the World Cup, Epic left the door open for him to regain his spot following a two-week ban. This allowed …
16-year-old Bugha wins Fortnite World Cup, takes home $3 million
Olivia Richman
Fortnite
Fortnite player Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf is $3 million richer after becoming the first Fortnite World Cup Solo champion. The 16-year old player who represented Sentinels beat 99 other qualifiers, including many well-known streamers and signed professionals. “Today was definitely the day,” Bugha tweeted immediately following the win. The Solo finals started with a concert by DJ Marshmello, who had a very popular in-game concert earlier in the year. Fans …
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.
Fortnite
Fortnite
Fortnite
Fortnite
