You have to wonder: What initially looked like a desperate act has taken off. In the first weeks of 2018, Fortnite: Battle Royale is the big hit. What is the reason for this? Interpreting Google trends shows: It’s free, on PS4, quite deep, and has a low age rating.
Why are players addicted to Fortnite: Battle Royale?
In autumn 2017, Fortnite was almost dead. Just a few months later, it is the probably biggest game in Europe and the USA. In February 2018, the internet explodes as the Fortnite servers go down for an update.
What is it that makes Fortnite hit the nerve of players so much? We take a look back at summer 2017. And we ask Google what the reason could be for the world becoming addicted to Fortnite.
Fortnite brings developer Epic back on stage, but only briefly
In summer 2017, Fortnite was released as a grindy coop shooter. The project and the developer Epic had pretty much been forgotten.
Epic was a big deal in the early 2000s with the Unreal series, then developed Gears of War, but gradually faded from public awareness. By 2017, a generation of gamers barely knew them or only as an engine manufacturer. Epic lacked hits. Their current game Paragon went relatively unnoticed.
Suddenly, Fortnite appeared in summer 2017 and made quite a noise for a few days. The timing was perfect because not much was happening in gaming at that time. The mix of shooting zombies, building bases, and coop action provided good vibes for 20, 30 hours.
PvE rush in Fortnite faded quickly
But the rush quickly faded:
- Fortnite was grindy. The loot was oddly regulated and closely tied to the cash shop.
- You had to buy access, but it was supposed to become Free2Play later.
- Each round began with base building and searching the map. Ultimately, it became monotonous. After about 40, 50 hours, many fell into a motivational slump.
- And Fortnite felt unfinished starting from mid-game – it was still an Early Access title.
Most players ultimately felt: It has potential, but needs a few months or a year. Let’s wait until it becomes Free2Play sometime in 2018.
Here you can read our review of Fortnite.
Essentially, Fortnite was already done in autumn 2017. Then the idea came to Epic to integrate a separate battle royale mode into the game. This was causing a stir at the time with PUBG in Early Access on PC.
The battle royale mode in Fortnite works like this:
- It is completely detached from PvE – you do not carry over any existing inventory
- There are no classes anymore, everyone plays soldiers
- You play on a large map specifically developed for the mode
- Epic has essentially adopted all working elements from PUBG (100 players, danger zone, “Last Man Standing” principle, and starting from an airplane)
- But they retained the building mode and the colorful, relatively harmless aesthetics of Fortnite
This battle royale mode was in some parts so brazenly borrowed from “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” that alarms went off.
While Fortnite was viewed suspiciously in the first weeks and people asked: “What were they smoking? That doesn’t fit together at all,” the insane success of Fortnite: Battle Royale is now justifiable.
Fortnite: Battle Royale has become a successful alternative to PUBG.
When the servers go down for maintenance in Fortnite, the internet explodes. People are crazy about Fortnite: Battle Royale. What is the reason for this?
Why is Fortnite: Battle Royale a hit? – This is what Google says
If you look at the search interest of people asking about Fortnite and interpret these results, you come up with 4 ideas.
Fortnite is free to play
People are repeatedly searching for “play Fortnite for free.”
The PvE variant of Fortnite does cost something. The battle royale variant, however, is detached and free to play. Competitor PUBG, on the other hand, wants players to reach for their wallets from the start.
This is a big advantage for Fortnite: Battle Royale: It’s a game for everyone and has a low barrier to entry.
Fortnite has a low age rating – USK 12
What many ask on Google is: At what age is Fortnite?
This can be read as a hint that parents are faced with the game and are uncertain. They ask: Should my child be allowed to play Fortnite? This is a youth protection aspect.
When parents search for this, they usually find something reassuring: Fortnite is recommended for ages 12 and thus the “youth-friendly alternative to PUBG.” There are weapons in the game, but no blood or corpses.
Another advantage for Fortnite: Battle Royale.
Fortnite is not available for PS3 and Xbox 360, but for PS4
The next question might surprise people who deal a lot with gaming. After “PUBG alternative PS4,” Google frequently returns “Fortnite” as an answer.
Fortnite: Battle Royale is available for PS4. With PUBG, Microsoft is against it and wants to keep it exclusive to Xbox One for as long as possible. There are even rumors that Microsoft wants to buy PUBG Corporation to keep PUBG away from PS4 forever. But that’s not official.
Many are even searching for “Fortnite Xbox 360” or “Fortnite PS3” hoping to still participate in the hype with old consoles. But the videos about how to supposedly play Fortnite on Xbox 360 or PS3 are fakes. On the other hand, developers are considering a version for the Switch, but that’s still up in the air.
Crossplay is also a hot topic in Fortnite.
One thing is clear: Fortnite already covers more platforms than PUBG and therefore has an advantage.
Fortnite is deep
When looking at search queries, you can see that at least some players engage deeply with the game. They want to gain advantages through knowledge.
They ask about Fortnite:
- How can I land faster?
- What are the best weapons?
- Where are the best landing spots?
- Where do I see the loot map?
- How do I build best and gain an advantage?
All these questions indicate that Fortnite has a certain depth and keeps players engaged, even when they are not actively playing.
Fortnite is a hit because it appeals to so many
In combination, one can say: The interest in Fortnite: Battle Royale is incredibly high because it has the same gameplay principle as PUBG, but finds a larger common denominator:
Fortnite is free, available on more platforms than PUBG, and is also suitable for teenagers. The building aspect adds a flair and unique twist to the battle royale formula.
It also helps that competitor PUBG currently has some challenges. They have been plagued by cheating problems ever since PUBG became a hit in China. Fortnite does not have such strong cheating issues. Epic has taken a hard stance against cheaters and even filed lawsuits against them.
So much for the answers that Google provides. Our Fortnite expert Robert, who has dealt with the advantages of Fortnite: Battle Royale, comes to the conclusion: It’s simply a good, fun variant of battle royale that is enjoyable. It looks simple, but offers a lot of complexity and depth.
PUBG vs Fortnite in comparison – Which battle royale game is better?
