Fortnite is an online video game and platform released in 2017 by Epic Games. It features six different game modes with shared gameplay and engine. The most popular mode is Fortnite Battle Royale, a free-to-play battle royale where up to 100 players compete to be the last one standing. Other modes include Fortnite: Save the World, a cooperative tower defense-shooter, and Fortnite Creative, which allows players to design their own worlds and arenas. The game also includes Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival.
2011: Fortnite's Origin
Fortnite was conceived during an internal game jam at Epic Games in 2011, originating from a concept that combined construction games with shooter elements.
March 2017: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' Rise
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) gained immense popularity following its release in March 2017, igniting a global interest in the battle royale genre.
July 2017: Fortnite's Early Access Launch
Fortnite was released as a paid early access title in July 2017, with plans to transition to free-to-play later.
August 2017: Save the World Reaches One Million Players
By August 2017, Save the World, Fortnite's player-versus-environment mode, had attracted over one million players.
September 2017: Fortnite Battle Royale's Release
Capitalizing on the battle royale trend, Epic Games launched Fortnite Battle Royale in September 2017 as a free-to-play mode. Its success led to dedicated development teams for the mode.
2017: Fortnite Release
Fortnite, an online video game developed by Epic Games, was released in 2017. It offered six distinct game modes, including Battle Royale, Save the World, and Creative.
2017: Game Award Nominations
In 2017, Fortnite received nominations for "Best Co-op Game" by PC Gamer and "Best Spectator Game" by IGN, highlighting its early recognition in the gaming industry.
2017: Early Access Release
Both Save the World and Battle Royale were initially launched in 2017 as early access titles, allowing players to experience the game while it was still under development.
March 2018: Record-Breaking Twitch Stream
A notable streaming event in March 2018, featuring streamer Ninja playing Fortnite Battle Royale with Drake, Travis Scott, and others, shattered viewership records on Twitch.
June 2018: Fortnite Battle Royale's Player Surge
Following its release on the Nintendo Switch, Fortnite Battle Royale's player base soared to an impressive 125 million players by June 2018.
December 6, 2018: Fortnite Creative Release
Fortnite Creative, a game mode allowing players to build their own worlds and arenas, was released on December 6, 2018.
2018: Game Award Wins and Nominations
Fortnite's success continued in 2018 with an award for "Best Ongoing Game" from both PC Gamer and IGN. It also received nominations for "Best Nintendo Switch Game", "Best Mobile Game", and "Best Action Game" from IGN.
July 2019: Fortnite World Cup
The first-ever Fortnite World Cup took place in July 2019, offering a significant prize pool of US$30 million and attracting top players from around the world.
December 2019: Fortnite's Financial Success
By December 2019, Fortnite had generated $9 billion in gross revenue, solidifying its position as a financial triumph in the gaming industry.
2019: Fortnite's Financial Triumph
By the close of 2019, Fortnite's total revenue had exceeded $9 billion, cementing its status as a financial powerhouse within the gaming industry.
2019: Initial Plan for Free-to-Play
Epic Games initially intended to release Fortnite as a free-to-play game sometime in 2019.
June 29, 2020: Save the World's Full Release
Save the World transitioned from early access to a premium title on June 29, 2020, marking its official full release.
2020: Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS)
Epic Games established the Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) in 2020, providing a structured esports competition for Fortnite Battle Royale players.
2021: Continued FNCS Organization by Epic
Epic Games continued to organize the Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) in 2021, demonstrating their commitment to supporting the competitive scene.
2022: FNCS Organization Transition
Starting in 2022, Blast ApS assumed responsibility for organizing the Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS), marking a shift in the tournament's management.
March 2023: Unreal Editor for Fortnite Release
Epic Games released the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) in March 2023, empowering creators to build new modes within Fortnite Creative using Unreal Engine 5 features. This mode is dubbed "Creative 2.0".
October 2023: Fortnite Client Redesign
In October 2023, Epic redesigned the main Fortnite client, presenting Epic's own modes and creative modes as "Fortnite Experiences", akin to Roblox's presentation style.
December 2023: New Fortnite Modes Launch
December 2023 saw the introduction of three new Epic-developed modes: Lego Fortnite (survival), Rocket Racing (arcade driving), and Fortnite Festival (rhythm), all integrated into the battle pass system.
March 2024: UEFN Enhancements
In March 2024, Epic announced significant improvements to UEFN, including Unreal Engine's MetaHuman technology and additional assets from Lego, Rocket Racing, and Fall Guys.
2025: Future Battle Royale Seasons in UEFN
Epic revealed plans to develop future Fortnite Battle Royale seasons, starting in late 2025, using UEFN.