Overview
Fortnite is a sci-fi sandbox-survival third-person shooter developed (in conjunction with People Can Fly) and digitally published by Epic Games as an early access title for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Mac on July 25, 2017. The early-access XONE and PS4 versions were also released in retail format on July 25, 2017 by Gearbox.
Running on the studio's signature Unreal Engine 4 game engine, Fortnite utilizes numerous exploration, scavenging, crafting, and constructing elements from other sandbox-survival games (such as Minecraft and Rust) with two distinct multiplayer-focused game modes:
- "Save the World", the game's main co-operative campaign. Up to four players can band together as unique Heroes and co-operate on missions in procedurally-generated landscapes. Players can earn new weapon schematics, trap schematics, and upgraded Heroes by completing missions and opening loot chests.
The game is set in a near-future contemporary Earth, where a mysterious and chaotic storm has engulfed the planet, dropping zombie-like creatures that put the world in an apocalyptic state. The remaining survivors have found a way to shield locations from the storm (using special field generators known as "Storm Shields") and must find survivors, resources, and a way to repel the storm completely.
The Battle Royale mode of the game was later released as an early access title for iOS devices on April 2, 2018 and for the Nintendo Switch on June 12, 2018. An Android version in development.
Weapons (BR)
Unlike most games in the "battle royale" genre, each weapon in the game can be found in one of numerous different color-coded "rarities" (grey Common, green Uncommon, blue Rare, purple Epic, and gold Legendary). Higher-rarity weapons have an increase in damage dealt, along with a slight improvement in another stat (usually reloading speed).
In most cases, Epic and Legendary versions also have a unique weapon model.
Light Bullets
- Pistol (C,U,R,E,L) - Semi-automatic.
- Submachine Gun (C,U,R) - Fully-automatic. Formerly known as the Tactical Submachine Gun.
- Suppressed Submachine Gun (C,U,R) - Fully-automatic. Slower firing rate than the normal SMG, but has a noise-cancelling suppressor equipped.
- Rapid Fire SMG (U,R) - Fully-automatic. Faster firing rate and reload speed than the normal SMG, but has a smaller magazine size.
- Minigun (R,E,L) - Fully-automatic with a windup time. Requires no reloading, but can overheat after long continuous fire.
Medium Bullets
- Assault Rifle (C,U,R,E,L) - Fully-automatic. Slower firing rate than the SMGs with more per-bullet damage and more effective range.
- Heavy Assault Rifle (C,U,R,E,L) - Fully-automatic. Slower firing rate than the Assault Rifle, but deals more damage-per-shot.
- Burst Assault Rifle (C,U,R,E,L) - Fires in three-round bursts.
- Suppressed Assault Rifle (R,E,L) - Fully-automatic. Deals slightly less damage than the Assault Rifle, but has a noise-cancelling suppressor equipped.
Heavy Bullets
- Heavy Sniper Rifle (E,L) - Bolt-action. Slower reloading time than the Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle, but deals more damage (knocking out half-armored enemies in one shot) and can destroy any structure in one shot.
- Suppressed Sniper Rifle (E,L) - Bolt-action. Slightly less damage than the Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle, but has a noise-cancelling suppressor equipped.
Shells 'n' Slugs
- Tactical Shotgun (C,U,R,E,L) - Pump-action. Wide spread for closer ranges.
- Pump Shotgun (C,U,R,E,L) - Pump-action. Higher damage than the Tactical Shotgun, but has a lower ammo capacity and slower firing rate.
Rockets
- Rocket Launcher (E,L) - Single-shot. Fires missiles in a straight line and deals incredible damage (knocking out unarmored enemies in one direct blast and destroying structure parts easily).
Vaulted
Since the game's beta, some of the game's arsenal has been put "in the vault" and shelved, meaning that they cannot be obtained in normal play. Some weapons can be found in Playground mode and in certain Limited Time Modes.
- Burst SMG (C,U,R) - Light. Fires in four-round bursts.
- Suppressed Pistol (R,E) - Light. Semi-automatic. Has a noise-cancelling suppressor equipped.
- Tactical Assault Rifle (R,E,L) - Light. Fully-automatic. Faster firing rate than the Assault Rifle, but deals less damage-per-shot.
- Compact SMG (E,L) - Light. Fully-automatic. Sacrifices reloading speed for higher magazine size and per-bullet damage.
- Revolver (C,U,R,E,L) - Medium. Semi-automatic. High-powered with a slow rate-of-fire.
- Infantry Rifle (C,U,R,E,L) - Medium. Semi-automatic.
- Six Shooter (U,R,E) - Medium. Semi-automatic. Firing from the hip "fans the hammer", trading precision for a faster firing rate.
- Drum Gun (U,R) - Medium. Fully-automatic. Faster firing rate and higher magazine size than Assault Rifles, but with a longer reload time and less per-bullet damage.
- Scoped Assault Rifle (U,R) - Medium. Fully-automatic. Improved accuracy and zoom distance at the cost of slower rate-of-fire and less damage-per-shot.
- Dual Pistols (R,E) - Medium. Semi-automatic, with each trigger pull firing both pistols in sequence.
- Light Machine Gun (R,E) - Medium. Fully-automatic. Higher magazine size than the Drum Gun, but with an even longer reload time.
- Scoped Revolver (E,L) - Medium. Semi-automatic. High-powered with a slow rate-of-fire.
- Thermal Scoped Assault Rifle (E,L) - Medium. Fully-automatic. Slower firing rate than the Scoped Assault Rifle, but has an enhanced thermal scope that shows enemies and chests in thermal vision.
- Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle (C,U,R,E,L) - Heavy. Bolt-action. Deals incredible damage (knocking out unarmored enemies in one shot), at the cost of a very slow rate-of-fire.
- Flint-Knock Pistol (C,U) - Heavy. Single-shot. High knock-back (for both shooter and target) and powerful at close range.
- Hunting Rifle (U,R) - Heavy. Bolt-action. Unlike other Sniper Rifles, the Hunting Rifle does not use a scope.
- Hand Cannon (E,L) - Heavy. Semi-automatic. High-powered with a slow rate-of-fire.
- Storm Scout Sniper Rifle (E,L) - Heavy. Semi-automatic. Has a small radar built on the scope that shows the location of the next few storm circles.
- Drum Shotgun (C,U,R) - Shells. Fully-automatic. Faster firing rate and higher ammo capacity than the Combat Shotgun, but much less damage and wider spread.
- Combat Shotgun (R,E,L) - Shells. Semi-automatic. Tighter spread for longer ranges.
- Heavy Shotgun (E,L) - Shells. Pump-action. Slow firing rate, but with tighter spread for longer ranges.
- Double Barrel Shotgun (E,L) - Shells. Break-action. Smallest ammo capacity, but deals incredible damage at close ranges.
- Boom Bow (L) - Shells. Compound bow that launches arrows with explosive shotgun-shell tips. The longer the Fire button is held, the faster the arrow launches. Direct hits deal additional impact damage (with headshots dealing critical damage).
- Grenade Launcher (R,E,L) - Rockets. Semi-automatic. Faster-firing than the Rocket Launcher, but its explosives fire in a downward arc.
- Guided Missile (E,L) - Rockets. Single-shot. Similar to the Rocket Launcher, only with less-damaging slower-moving rockets that are controlled directly by the player (leaving them unable to control their own character while the missile is in the air).
- Quad Launcher (E,L) - Rockets. Multi-shot. Similar to the Rocket Launcher, sacrificing explosive damage for the ability to fire four rockets in quick succession.
- Proximity Grenade Launcher (E,L) - Rockets. Semi-automatic. While weaker than the standard Grenade Launcher (and having 1/3 the chamber size), its explosives detonate prematurely in proximity of an enemy combatant.
Limited Time Modes (BR)
Along with the standard Squads (where players can form four-man "squads"), Duos (where players can form two-man "duos"), and Solo (completely free-for-all) playlists, Epic has regularly released limited-time event playlists (called LTMs, or Limited Time Modes) that alter the standard formula.
- 50v50 - First made available on December 7, 2017, 50v50 is a Squads playlist that splits the game lobby into two equal teams (of up to 50 players each). It was later improved upon by having each team drop from their own Battle Bus at opposite sides of the island, having the storm circle located in-between, and heavily increasing the ammunition and resources.
- High Explosives - First made available on December 28, 2017, High Explosives is a Squads playlist where the only weapons that can be found are those that use the Rockets ammo type. Traps are disabled and grenade items are easier to find. Was later changed to Fly Explosives with the addition of enhanced Jetpacks.
- Sneaky Silencers - First made available on January 5, 2018, Sneaky Silencers is a Squads playlist where the only weapons that can be found are those with suppressors. Traps are disabled and the Bush item is easier to find.
- Sniper Shootout - First made available on January 29, 2018, Sniper Shootout is a Squads (later Solo and Duos) playlist where the only weapons that can be found are all Sniper Rifle variants (including Hunting Rifles).
- Shooting Test - First made available on February 5, 2018, Shooting Test is a playlist used for publicly testing alterations to weapon accuracy and recoil.
- Solid Gold - First made available on February 27, 2018, Solid Gold is a Squads (and later Solo) playlist where the only weapons that can be found are those with the Legendary rarity. Rocket weapons can only be found in Chests.
- Teams of 20 - First made available on March 8, 2018, Teams of 20 is a Squads playlist that splits the game lobby into five equal teams (of up to 20 players each). It was later improved upon by having each team drop from their own Battle Bus at different points of the island (their paths forming a hexagon). Later used Final Fight rules (where the final circle instead triggers a end-of-game countdown timer).
- Blitz - First made available on March 19, 2018, Blitz is a faster-paced Squads playlist with much shorter Storm times (with the circle closing in from the start), improved overall loot spawn, and increased resources from loot/harvesting. It was later improved upon by having the Battle Bus enter from a lower height.
- Infinity Gauntlet - First made available on May 8, 2018, Infinity Gauntlet is a cross-promotion with the 2018 film Avengers: Infinity War. A faster-paced Solo variation of the Blitz playlist, players fight over possession of a singular Infinity Gauntlet. Once a player has the Gauntlet in their possession, they transform into the powerful supervillain Thanos and have access to both a variety of unique attacks (including a super-jump, an electrical blast, and a mighty punch) and a high amount of vitality (with shields that regenerate after each kill), at the cost of being unable to build nor carry items. To counter Thanos (and to hasten the game's pace), players have an easier time finding higher-grade loot.
- Close Encounters - First made available on May 25, 2018, Close Encounters is a Squads playlist where the only weapons that can be found are Pump Shotguns and Tactical Shotguns. In addition, Jetpacks and Heavy Shotguns can be found in Chests. Grapplers were later added.
- 8 Teams of 12 - First made available on June 27, 2018, 8 Teams of 12 is a Squads playlist that splits the game lobby into eight equal teams (of up to 20 players each). Later used Final Fight rules (where the final circle instead triggers a end-of-game countdown timer).
- Playground - First made available on June 27, 2018, Playground puts a single squad into the map to train, explore, and create. Friendly fire is on (with players respawning after being eliminated) and resources are heavily increased.
- Steady Storm - First made available on August 7, 2018, Steady Storm is a Squads playlist that has the storm closing in to one central point from the start. Although the storm moves slowly, it is more damaging and does not display the final point on the map.
- Soaring 50's - First made available on August 15, 2018, Soaring 50's is a Squads playlist that builds on the 50v50 playlist. Increased Impulse Grenade, Launch Pad, and Bounce Pad spawns, and players can deploy their glider manually by jumping while mid-air and at least 10 meters off the ground.
- Score Royale - First made available on August 23, 2018, Score Royale is a Solo playlist where players score points by opening loot, killing enemies, and collecting coins scattered throughout the map. First player to reach the point limit (or the last player standing) wins.
- Solid Gold 50v50 - First made available on August 28, 2018, Solid Gold 50v50 is a Squads playlist that builds on the 50v50 mode by having only Legendary weapons spawn.
- The Getaway - First made available on September 6, 2018, The Getaway is a Squads playlist where squads race to retrieve one of four unique Jewel items on the map (which are found in special supply drops) and bring them to one of four Getaway Vans near the center of the storm. Safes and Getaway Vans show up in the mini-map, while players who pick up the Jewel will be visibile on the mini-map for 30 seconds. Players holding the jewel get health and shield regeneration, but have slower movement speed. Weapons are only found in the Rare, Epic, and Legendary rarities. Rifts and Launchpads disabled.
- Soaring Solos - First made available on September 18, 2018, Soaring Solos is a Solo playlist where players can deploy their glider manually by jumping while mid-air and at least 10 meters off the ground.
- Disco Domination - First made available on October 10, 2018, Disco Domination is a Squads playlist that combines 50v50 mode with the Domination mode from Unreal Tournament. Teams attempt to capture "Dance Floors" scattered around an area of the island by emoting in them uncontested, each of which slowly add to the team "Dance Bar". First team to have a full Dance Bar wins the match. Respawning is enabled until the storm has completely moved in (which also triples the amount of points added to the Dance Bar). Glider Redeploy is also enabled.
- Fortnitemares - First made available on October 24, 2018.
- Team Terror - First made available on November 6, 2018.
Map
The map of Fortnite differs in the version of Fortnite being played.
In Fortinte: Save the World, 4 locations are featured. These unlock by completing quests for previous outlocks. The locations are:
In Fortnite: Battle Royale, as ofChapter 2 Season 2, there exist 18 locations in the map, all named in an alliterative fashion, except for The Agency, The Yatch, The Shark, The Rig, and The Grotto. Examples of locations include Lazy Lake, The Agency and Pleasant Park. These tend to vary notably during certain game events, with effects which range from temporary visual changes to their destruction.
