Fortnite is a survival shooter from Epic Games that exploded into one of the biggest games of 2017 and 2018 after adding a free Battle Royale mode. It hit 125 million players inside a year and pulled celebrities like Drake into record-breaking Twitch streams.
Origin
Epic Games and People Can Fly worked on Fortnite for years before it shipped, first showing the project off well before release[3]. The paid early-access version arrived in July 2017 with only the Save the World mode, in which players harvested materials and built defensive bases against waves of zombie-like attackers[4].
The turning point came on September 26, 2017, when Epic released a standalone Battle Royale mode for free on every platform, chasing the format that PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds had made popular earlier that year[2]. Epic openly cited PUBG as inspiration, telling the press it loved battle royale games like PUBG and thought Fortnite would make a great foundation for its own version[2].
- Platform: PC and console (viral spread via Twitch)
- Creator: Epic Games and People Can Fly
- Date: 2017
Overview
Fortnite is a survival co-op game developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly for macOS, Windows, Xbox, and PlayStation 4[7]. Epic originally pitched it as a cross between Minecraft and Left 4 Dead, giving players prefab walls, floors, and ramps that snap together into forts while enemies attack[3]. The base game launched in July 2017 as a paid sandbox survival title focused on that building loop[4].
The version most players know is Battle Royale, a free-to-play mode Epic bolted on in September 2017 that drops 100 players onto an island to fight until one is left standing[2]. The construction system carries into fights, so players can throw up cover walls or ramps mid-shootout, which gives Fortnite a distinct look next to other shooters. That mix of shooting and building, plus a zero-dollar price tag on every major platform, drove the game's massive growth into early 2018[3].
How It Spread
Fortnite's growth through late 2017 and early 2018 was steep. On March 14, 2018, rapper Drake joined Twitch streamer Tyler "Ninja" Blevins for a duos session that peaked at over 635,000 concurrent viewers, beating the previous non-tournament Twitch record of 388,000 held by Dr. DisRespect[1]. The BBC reported the audience topped 600,000 and grew again when Travis Scott and Pittsburgh Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster joined the squad[5]. Drake, Ninja, Travis Scott, and Fortnite briefly held the top four US Twitter trends that night[1].
The stream turned Ninja into a household name and reportedly earned him more than 90,000 new Twitch subscribers, worth at least $250,000 a month in revenue[1]. Drake, who had over 36 million Twitter followers at the time, said during the broadcast that he had been playing Fortnite for a couple of months on breaks from recording sessions[5]. The pair used the game's cross-play system to team up, since Ninja was on PC and Drake on PlayStation 4[5].
By June 2018 Epic said Fortnite had 125 million players worldwide, a number it reached in under a year and one that put it ahead of League of Legends' 2016 monthly count of 100 million[6]. The game hit Nintendo Switch as a free download on June 12, 2018, following an earlier iOS release and ahead of the Android version scheduled for that summer[8]. Epic reportedly earned roughly $300 million from Fortnite in April 2018 alone[8].
How to Use
Playing Fortnite Battle Royale typically involves dropping onto a shrinking island, scavenging weapons and building materials, then combining shooting with fast construction of cover walls, floors, and ramps during firefights[3]. High-level play often looks more like building than aiming, which is what set Fortnite apart from other battle royale games like PUBG[2]. Common convention among streamers is playing duos or squads with friends and using the cross-play system to team up across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, the same setup Drake and Ninja used[5].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fortnite?
Fortnite is a survival co-op game by Epic Games and People Can Fly with a free Battle Royale mode where 100 players fight until one is left standing[7].
Where did Fortnite come from?
It shipped in July 2017 as a paid Save the World survival game, then added the free Battle Royale mode on September 26, 2017[2].
What does Fortnite mean?
The name references the game's core loop of building a fort out of snap-together walls, floors, and ramps to survive enemies[3].
How do you use Fortnite?
Players drop onto an island, gather weapons and materials, and build cover mid-firefight, often teaming up in duos or squads with cross-play across PC and console[5].
Is Fortnite still popular?
Epic reported 125 million players by June 2018 and pledged $100 million for competitive play, making it a defining game of that era[6].
Why did Drake play Fortnite with Ninja?
Drake said on stream he had been playing for a couple of months during recording breaks and had watched Ninja on Twitch before joining a duos session on March 14, 2018[5].
How many people watched the Drake and Ninja Fortnite stream?
The stream peaked at over 635,000 concurrent viewers, breaking the previous non-tournament Twitch record of 388,000[1].
Did PUBG sue Fortnite?
Yes, PUBG developer Bluehole filed a copyright injunction against Epic Games Korea in the Seoul Central District Court in January 2018, alleging Fortnite's Battle Royale copied core elements and UI[4].
When did Fortnite come to Nintendo Switch?
Epic released Fortnite as a free download on Nintendo Switch on June 12, 2018, without cross-play against PS4 players[8].
Who won the first Fortnite Pro-Am?
Tyler "Ninja" Blevins and DJ Marshmello won the first Fortnite Pro-Am at the Banc of California Stadium during E3 2018, splitting a $3 million charity prize pool[9].
