Three years ago, Fortnite was launched to become a worldwide phenomenon. As of 2019 there are over 250 million players and the game boasts the single-month record of players with 78.3 million in August 2018.As of 2019 there are over 250 million players and the game boasts the single-month record of players with 78.3 million in August 2018. I have been hearing and learning about Fortnite from my 2 sons who have been playing since the beginning.
Here is everything I learned from an in-depth interview with my 13 year old son:
What is Fortnite?
Fortnite is a free to download game for PC, gaming consoles, iOS, and Android. Once downloaded you can play using the default options or you can spend money to purchase V-Bucks to purchase additional dances, skins, pick axes and gliders. The game has 2 options to play, Creative or Battle Royale. Creative is a map that you spawn and is a free-for-all. This is a great place to start as a beginner because you can practice building and fighting without playing against hard-core gamers. In Creative mode you are able to have friends join you and all can practice fighting and perfecting those sick dance moves we see on Tik Tok.
How do you play?
When you are ready to battle it out you can join a Battle Royale. There you will battle against other players to see who is the last person(s) standing. In non-competitive (read: not for money) you can play solo, duos or squads (4 person). In each Battle Royale you are playing against a total of 100 people and each battle is against you and your teammates. Arena is the competitive game and depending on the event you can win cash prizes.
During Battle Royale you skydive into the map to either a point of interest or a house. While battling to stay alive against the other players or teams, there is a storm circle that slowly closes in on the map causing damage points and killing players stuck in it. If you prefer to work smarter and not harder, you can build in the world instead of fighting to the death. You can use building materials to create shelters or places to hide in addition to walls and stairs to climb for better vantage points to view and shoot your enemies.
To start as a new player you automatically are at default. You have 1 skin, dance, pick axe and glider. You have the opportunity in each new season to buy the Battle Pass. This gives you additional skins and dances along with challenges to level up and earn additional items throughout the season. You can also use V-bucks to buy things from the item shop. All weapons, heals and shields can be found throughout the map and as you kill opponents you can collect their loot that they had found during the game.
One nice thing about Fortnite is that there is no blood or gore. When you die your character gets sent back to the lobby where you can start a new game or you can finish watching the match through the point of view of the player that killed you. If that player dies, your POV goes to the player that killed him.
As of July 2020, Fortnite has had 2 chapters; One chapter with 10 seasons and a second chapter with 3 seasons. Each season lasts roughly 10 weeks and includes a loose storyline and a major event that changes the map for the next season. In addition to the large events there are also minor events. These have included concerts by Marshmello and Travis Scott and crossover events with movies like Star Wars, Avengers and Ralph Breaks the Internet.
While the premise of the game is very simple, I have found my kids can spend hours playing every day. Because the players you face each game changes you have a different game every time you play. As you get more skilled you can level up and earn additional items and have the chance to win money and that is huge to kids. While the likelihood of that happening is minimal it gives them something to strive for and keeps them occupied when I need a minute.
Terminology:
Battlepass: Extra items to help the player in each season
Default: A new player who only has the original items provided at the start of the game
Loot/Loot Crate: Weapons and heals that are spread across the map to be found during Battle Royale
Skins: Costumes and characters you can buy or earn
Supply Drops: During Battle Royale games there are occasional supply drops that will fall from the sky with heals and weapons
V-Bucks (aka Vinderbucks): The electronic currency used in Fortnite
