By Anna Sandri and Savaughn Anderson

Fortnite is a large, fast growing online game that came out in mid 2017. After its debut on July 25, Fortnite grew larger than anyone could’ve expected from such a new game. In the nine months since the game launched for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile, it has gained over 45 million players worldwide. Fortnite’s popularity came as a surprise to some, but not for most. The battle royale genre shot up in popularity within recent years with titles such as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, also known as PUBG, and Fortnite Battle Royale. Everything from its fast gameplay to colorful graphics to its shareable moments in multiplayer, Fortnite has plenty of reasons on why it’s the best game of 2018.

One of the factors of Fortnite´s sudden fame is the fact that the game is free to play. Free-to-play games are often a hit or miss in the gaming industry, especially when it’s a game with features strikingly familiar to another game that is already out or has a very large fanbase. For example, games such as Paladins and Overwatch have a similar problem. Overwatch became huge in the gaming industry whereas Paladins, a game of similar structure and playstyle, failed to reach Overwatch´s level, even though it’s free. Despite the fact that Fortnite is free, there are some options to purchase some extra goodies. You can buy V-Bucks, Fortnite’s online currency, and use those to buy player skins, tool skins, parachute skins, as well as the latest dance moves.

Fortnite’s popularity could also be thanks to the pleasant graphics. Soft colors and textures give the game a cartoony feel to it. Naturally some people are more drawn to games with such appearances. While Fortnite brings in a large adult audience, it also brings in quite a bit of children, which is probably thanks to the cartoon-like characters and items. Games with seemingly ‘rough’ textures tend to become an eyesore after a while of playing, yet games with ‘softer’ textures are easier to play longer. But still, don’t be playing for hours on end, you’ll still get a headache.

Not only is Fortnite free to play, Fortnite has multiple game modes that make the game more fun and enjoyable for players. Fortnite´s primary game modes include solo, duo, and squads. Nevertheless, every other week, Fortnite includes new game modes that particularly focus on one specific criteria. For example, such game modes that Fortnite has included in the past are Blitz!, Sniper Shootout, High Explosives, Teams of 20, and Gun Game. Fortnite´s newest upcoming game mode, 50 v. 50 v2, is set for an April 19 release.

These game modes have given fans multiple opportunities to have fun, socialize, and display their gameplay to other fans to see.  On Twitch.com, the most popular streamer that goes by Ninja, is considered to be the best or one of the best Fortnite players right now. Tallying up over 1000 solo wins, 900 duo wins, and 200 squad wins, Ninja has over five million followers  to his stream displaying all of his epic and clutchest moments.