A cartoon like “pew” races up from the speakers and settles in his ears. The young boy’s fingers blaze over the controller, and within seconds he has encased himself in a metal fortress, or for some, a metal grave. Welcome to the world of Fortnite, the most popular, and most controversial, game of 2018.

Just what is Fortnite, and why is it so popular?  Fortnite Battle Royale is  a video game in which players are dropped into a specified area, and must fight other players to the death in order to secure the victory.  The game is part of a wave of a new genre, called battle royale, which pull heavily from books like The Hunger Games for inspiration.  Other games that fall into this same category include PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (known as PUBG), and the recently released Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.  Fortnite has beaten these rivals out, however, for several reasons.

The first distinct feature of Fortnite is its price tag, or in this case, complete lack of one.  Unlike most games, Fortnite is free to play, which greatly increases its target range.  Comparatively, PUBG costs around $30, while Black Ops 4 costs $50, not including DLC’s.  The only items that a player can spend money on in Fortnite are cosmetic, and do not affect in game play.

The second reason behind Fortnite’s popularity is its availability across platforms.  This means that players on anything from console, (Xbox One and Playstation), PC, and even mobile devices can play, which, like making the game free, increases customer base.

A third reason for Fortnite’s wild success comes from its ability to adapt, improve, and grow.  The cartoonish graphics and quirky art style of Fortnite enables its creators, (Epic Games), to introduce massive amounts of new items, weapons, and geography into the game without affecting its playability.  Comparatively, games like PUBG have followed a more traditional, realistic approach, which limits developers ability to create and add new content.  

Finally, Fortnite is “shareable”.  As Rachel S, a senior at Hall observed, “People love Fortnite, so creators [professional gamers and Youtubers] play Fortnite, and the people then love Fortnite even more because everyone is playing it.”   Due to its “fast-paced action, propensity for wild clutch wins, and general mayhem,” people who may not play Fortnite still watch it.  Professional gamers have made Fortnite their go to game, and some, like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, have made millions, (he reportedly makes around $500,000 a month, mostly from viewers on live streaming video service Twitch,which enables subscribers to donate to streamers).

When all of these factors combine together, they create an unstoppable monster of a game that enjoys a mainstream popularity few games have ever achieved, Minecraft being the last.  When you load in, just remember- build, fight, run, survive; the victory royale is only a moment away.