For most of 2018, Fortnite was arguably the most popular game in the world. By the end of the year, it hit over 200 million players according to stats from Bloomberg. The success continues in 2019, as it set a record for over 10.7 million concurrent players in February. But how did Fortnite become one of the biggest games in the world? Here are a few reasons for the game’s runaway success.
The Battle Royale Trend
In 2017 and 2018, we saw the rise of the battle royale games. While the gaming scene was largely dominated by FPS games and MOBAs before, battle royale games like Fortnite and PUBG began to take over. Now, even games like Call of Duty and Counter-Strike have made their own battle royale modes to keep up with the trend.
Despite competition from newcomers like Apex Legends, Fortnite remains one of the best battle royale games and arguably still the most popular.
A Slew of Streamers
Fortnite has also been massive for streamers. The biggest Twitch streamer in the world, Ninja, is known for his Fortnite streams. So are many other huge streamers such as shroud, TimTheTatman, and Tfue.
Big organizations like FaZe Clan and TSM have also supported many Fortnite streamers. Fortnite videos are also massive on YouTube. It’s an easy game for anyone to watch and all these streams and content have brought many new players to the game.
Free-to-Play on Every Console
Another huge advantage for Fortnite is just how accessible it is. You can now play Fortnite on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and even Android and Apple smartphones and tablets.
Not only that, but Fortnite: Battle Royale is free-to-play on every platform. That means anyone can play just with a simple download, which attracts all kinds of new players who quickly get hooked.
Regular Updates
Fortnite came out in mid-2017. But by 2018, the game already looked drastically different. New Game Modes and Weapons are added almost fortnightly to Fortnite. There are also regular changes in the gameplay and the map.
We’re now on Fortnite Season 8 and there are many new Fortnite skins, cosmetics, and gameplay features added regularly. It seems Epic Games never run out of new ideas for the game, which keeps it fresh for players.
Massive Multiplayer Fun
There are many things that draw people to Fortnite, but what makes them stay is the game itself. Battle royale mode is incredibly fun and super easy to pick up and play with friends. Games don’t take too long, but still require some thought, investment, and skill to win. Plus, with so many unique ways to play and win, friends can play for hours without it getting old.