Epic, we need to talk. Your once-popular game has been left in the past to die. It was a game that kids would skip school to play. A game to post wins and trickshots on social media then get thousands of likes. A game that was more than just a game, but a lifestyle.
Fortnite, a game once talked about worldwide, is slowly fading. The game still has people playing, but it doesn’t feel the same as it did back when it first came out almost 10 years ago.
Fortnite launched in the summer of 2017 and has blown up in the gaming world because of its battle royal game mode with its unique building element. If you were a fan of Call of Duty, Battlefield or even any other battle royal game, Fortnite was meant for you.
The game gave us some really memorable moments in gaming history by introducing trending emotes and dances that vary from the orange justice to the floss. Popular streamers like Tfue, Ninja and Bugha built their reputation and followings around the game of Fortnite, although none of them routinely play and post Fortnite content now.
So, is Fortnite really dying?
The game has a low average of daily players with about 800,000 players world wide, but even with low numbers, Epic Games constantly updates and adds new elements to shake up the gameplay.
In recent years, they added the game mode zero build that eliminates the building aspect of the typical battle royal. While there are some positives to it, for me it takes away from Fortnite’s identity of being a building game.
A positive addition to the game is a new gamemode called OG Fortnite, which allows players to relive the nostalgic gameplay of the early days. However, it turned out to be a game mode where all of the tryhards play. It’s fun until some sweaty player builds a five-star hotel on you and sends you back to the lobby.
On top of that, I think there are more bots in the regular battle royal than there were before, guaranteeing a free win knowing there are only 25 real people out of 100 players in the game. It just does not feel rewarding or fun to be playing against bots all the time.
It’s also cool to see lots of popular celebrities getting their own skin in Fortnite like Marshmello, Travis Scott and Arianda Grande. I think this is a massive problem with Epic Games though, they are just worried about the money and making revenue off these collaborations instead of focusing on making the game new and fresh. I do find it exciting to see my favorite celebrities and iconic characters in the game, but I feel like it takes away from the actual gameplay.
The main problem with the game is how often new maps, weapons and features are added to the game, making it hard to keep up with the game if you don’t regularly play. They removed all of the iconic weapons and items from the game like the pump shotgun, rocketlauncher and traps, and replaced them with guns like the twin hammer shotgun, hollow rush SMG and lock-on pistol which are all trash.
There were times when my friends and I got on every night to play, but over the years it has slowly become once a week, then once a month and then once every few months. Even when I check my friends list, there are only a few friends online. Back in 2020 my friends list would have at least 50 or more people playing every single night.
I’m not saying that Fortnite is completely going away, but it seems to be fading. This could be due to the fact that players who loved Fortnite when it was first released have grown up and moved on with their lives. It could be that Epic Games has run out of ideas and is struggling to make the game feel lively again. It could also be that the audience is expecting a bigger and better version of the game every season, creating high expectations that Epic Games fails to reach.
This game is too iconic to just forget, but how do we fix it?
My solution to the problem is to stick with what works, don’t just add a bunch of new features and weapons to the game, but bring back the old loot pool with classic weapons like the scar, pump, assault sniper rifle and sub-machine gun. Then, as the chapter progresses you can add new weapons that fit the theme of the season slowly.
Overall, I still do love this game as someone who has been playing for a long time. It has been a part of my life and identity. I can’t envision myself not playing the game anymore. Even if I do leave the game, I’m glad I played for all the memories, friends and victory royals.
