In late October, Epic Games announced that Fortnite would return to its Season 5 (summer of 2018) format on November 3, 2023. The previously discontinued game map would be returning, along with old weapons, items, and modes of transportation. This “OG Season” announcement immediately interested former players who had left the game in recent years. Capitalizing on a “less is more” mindset and nostalgia of original players, Epic Games reached its highest daily player count, with 44.7 million players loading in on Saturday, November 4th. This popularity has continued throughout the month, with the number of active players rivaling those of 2018.
First released six years ago, Fortnite took advantage of a greater trend in the gaming market: the ultra-popular Battle Royale format. The battle royale scheme works by putting players across a large and slowly shrinking map, forcing players to eliminate one another to win. Using this formula, the game amassed millions of players and dominated pop culture for years. Thus, the free game generated over $5.4 billion in 2018 by selling in-game currency. The number of users rose to 250 million in 2019, and many more watched on sites like YouTube and Twitch.
The success of Fortnite was unparalleled in these early years. However, the dominance couldn’t last forever, and increasingly unpopular updates and the focus of the game shifting too far from the original Battle Royale concept pushed many original players away from the game. Form IV student Jack O’Brien said, “I played in seasons 4 and 5 (2018), but I lost interest after that.” Despite a surge in players during the 2020 lockdowns, the game’s downfall gradually continued.
The reasons for Fortnite’s return to relevance are pretty clear. Epic Games saw what their players missed from the game, brought that back, and got rid of much of the fluff. When asked about the state of the game, Jack said, “The old map and loot pool is great, but it’s really nostalgia that pulled me back.” The nostalgia experienced by many who grew up on the game brought back memories from childhood. For many, friendships that continued over the years were formed on the game. Whether the game will continue to succeed after the “OG” update is unknown as December 2nd will be the last day of OG Fortnite.
