Our take on what might be the most surprising turn of events in gaming history. From gameplay to graphics to top streamers, get the scoop and nothing but the whole scoop below.
Fortnite Battle Royale is one of 2019’s hottest games, continuing the world domination it achieved last year. How did this game end up on everybody’s lips, you may be asking? It’s addictively fun, wonderfully engaging, doesn’t cost a penny, and can be played on almost any device that has an internet connection and a screen.
While Fortnite Battle Royale is free to play, however not pay-to-win. While microtransactions are its primary revenue stream, the only things available to purchase are cosmetics such as costumes and skins, meaning you don’t need to spend anything at all on it.
Let’s get the uncomfortable bit out of the way: Fortnite did not actually invent the battle royale genre. There, I said it.
What Fortnite did do, however, was come closer than anyone else has in perfecting that genre. The game has several configurations to the battle royale mode that earned it its fame: you can play Solo, you can play with one friend or stranger, or you can play with a Squad of friends and/or strangers. The goal is simple: be the last person/ duo/ squad to survive.
Now, it might look a little ridiculous when I write that 100 players jump out of a balloon-propelled bus onto a deserted island with the express intention of not letting anyone else survive, and that you need to watch out for the deadly purple storm. And even more strange when I tell you that the professional players of the game tend to describe it as a building game first and a shooting game second.
But that’s exactly what’s so amazing about this game. Whether you’re playing it yourself, or watching someone else play on Twitch, this Minecraft-meets-Player-Unkown’s-Battlegrounds experience is non-stop action, intrigue, and off-the-wall fun.
Whether you’re constructing a complicated ziggurat to defend your squad and get the high ground in a matter of seconds, building a staircase to an interdimensional rift in midair to escape a deadly storm, or sniping people off of rooftops, Fortnite guarantees that you are absolutely never bored.
Unlike other Battle Royale titles such as Blackout or PuBG, Fortnite eschews the dark and moody tone you’d expect from a game that’s all about being the last survivor on an island inhabited only by hostile builders who are armed to the teeth. The game is vibrant and colourful, and looks fantastic when in motion. Fortnite has its own personality, and one that communicates itself through its aesthetic choices perfectly.
The lack of blood and gore, the use of light and colour, even the slightly cartoony qualities of the menus all come together to make this a game that’s easy to pick up and hard to put down, while being appealing to gamers of all ages. The map includes a variety of video game staples as traversable areas: a white and blue icy area; a red and orange desert area; a lush green woodland, etc.
The map also grows with each Season of the game, with the latest release of Season 9 adding a futuristic Mega Mall and newly rebuilt Twisted Towers town in beautiful greys and fuschias to an already varied palette. This means even though there’s only the one map for regular Battle Royale mode, it’s a map that’s constantly evolving in not only content, but also visuals and style.
Another benefit of the more cartoony art-style is that whether you’re playing this on a behemoth of a gaming PC or your Nintendo Switch, Fortnite looks absolutely fantastic.
Fortnite currently holds the title of Twitch’s highest streamed game, averaging over 100m hours watched per month. The top English-speaking Fortnite streamers, as of May 2019, to watch would definitely have to be Tfue, Ninja, and TimTheTatman.
Ninja is clearly the more popular of the three, with popularity that extends into pop culture as well as the eSports scene. Ninja has featured a number of high profile celebrities in his streams, such as Drake, and even appeared on the Ellen show. Ninja is no n00b when it comes to pro gaming, having started off as a Halo player in 2009, having played for major teams like Cloud9, and became a streamer in 2011. He combines high-tier gameplay with high-energy fun, and entertaining squad interactions.
Tfue and TimTheTatman are both massive streamers in their own rights, with TimTheTatman having achieved over a thousand Victory Royales in Fortnight, and Tfue being lauded by many as the best Fortnite player on the streaming scene, actually eclipsing Ninja’s hours-watched for April 2019. Both streamers can be found on Twitch for between 4 and 9 hours a day, every day, with Ninja also averaging around 7 hours a day in his own streams.
As with all other eSports this year, Fortnite betting is thriving. While it may look a little daunting for those who aren’t accustomed to sportsbook betting, it’s actually a lot simpler than it looks, and there are lots of different platforms to choose from.
Fortnite betting can be a little different when compared to other battle royale games, as more often than not the action starts almost as soon as the players hit the ground. Standard sportsbook betting on Fortnite eSports events can be found on sites such as Bet365, Unikrn, and Betway, with each of the sites giving you their versions of match odds. As a tip, while going with bookmaker favourites is the safest option, low risk bets generally tend to yield low returns and as Fortnite includes a heavy sprinkling of random number generation and luck, this is one game where risks tend to pay off often enough to make them fun, so don’t be afraid to put some faith into your favourite eAthletes.
Fortnite Battle Royale is a must-play, must-watch, must-ANYTHING sort of title. From the gameplay, to the visuals, to the influencers, to the very concept of it; if you haven’t tried this game yet, try it now. It’s a truly wondrous experience backed up by a passionate community of players and an arguably even more passionate studio of developers who constantly work to update it.
Also, it’s completely free and runs on pretty much every device except your fridge. If you’ve read this far, then there really isn’t any reason NOT to try it.