Gaming world set for 'Fortnite: Battle Royale' release
March 12, 2018
"Fortnite: Battle Royale," the multiplayer shooter game for computer and consoles that has taken the gaming world by storm over the past year, is about to make another splash with a mobile version of the game.
The ambitious move by game developers Epic Games represents an attempt to bring together players across all platforms — from PCs to consoles to mobile. "Fortnite" can already be played on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PCs. The new mobile version will be available on iOS with an Android version due to follow in the next few months.
"Fortnite" fans eager to try out the pilot can sign up to obtain an email invitation and a link to download the game.
Why is this game such a big deal?
In "Fortnite: Battle Royale," 100 players are dropped onto an island and must fight each other to survive. Players explore the island, gathering various weapons and tools along the way, and the last person standing is the winner.
Fortnite was originally released in July 2017 as a role-playing zombie survival game. But the game's developers changed tack after witnessing the huge success of multiplayer online game "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" (PUBG).
Epic Games took the same concept — 100 players battling it out on an island — and relaunched their own game under the name "Fortnite: Battle Royale" last September. Vitally they rolled the game out not just for PCs, which was the only option for PUBG players, but also for Xbox One and PS4.
"Fortnite" has now been downloaded more than 40 million times by January and it is the most watched game on live-streaming video platform Twitch.
Another important element to the success of "Fortnite" is that it is free to download. Some "premium” items like clothing and equipment can be purchased within the game, but they are purely for show — buying them will not improve the player's performance.
Dangerous for children?
"Fortnite: Battle Royale" has a Pan European Game Information (PEGI) rating of 12, meaning it is not deemed suitable for children under the age of 12. Some concerns have been raised about the impact the game might have on young players.
Other parents have defended the game, pointing out its colorful and almost cartoonish appearance in comparison to darker more realistic "shooter" games, like "Call of Duty."
Twitter user @SprkyMrky said: "Fortnite is one of the few shooters I allow my boys to play." Another parent, @jatosha, tweeted: "Correct, it is a shooter. A fun one where they can build things, dance and chat with their friends while exploring."