How Old is the First Fortnite? A Gaming History Lesson

As one of the most popular video games in recent years, Fortnite has become a household name even for people who don‘t play video games. But Fortnite wasn‘t always the Battle Royale juggernaut it is today. In fact, the original Fortnite began development all the way back in 2011!

In this article, I‘ll take you on a journey through Fortnite‘s origins, pivotal moments, exponential growth and eventual legacy as one of the most impactful games of the late 2010s. Get ready for a gaming history lesson!

The Early Days – Fortnite: Save the World

Let‘s go back to 2011 when Fortnite was first conceived. Developer Epic Games (best known for Gears of War) announced Fortnite as an ambitious co-op sandbox survival game.

The initial vision focused on 4 player cooperative combat in an open world environment. Players would build fort-like structures, craft weapons, gather resources and defend objectives from hordes of zombie-like enemies called "husks."

Epic looked to combine the building mechanics of games like Minecraft with defensive combat against swarms of AI enemies. It would also feature RPG-light elements of looting weapons and leveling up abilities.

Development officially kicked off in 2012 using Epic‘s powerful Unreal Engine 4 technology. But creating such an advanced multiplayer world with destructible environments proved challenging.

Fortnite spent over 5 years in active development before it was ready for release. During that time, the overall vision shifted away from an open world towards more linear missions accessed through a map.

Finally, after all that arduous development, Fortnite: Save the World was released in paid early access on July 25, 2017. It launched on PC, PS4 and Xbox One (with later iOS and Android ports).

Keep in mind, this original PvE (player vs environment) Fortnite pre-dated the wildly popular Battle Royale mode by 2 months. But Fortnite as we know it today was about to be born…

The Pivotal Moment – Fortnite Battle Royale Arrives

On September 26, 2017, just 2 months after Fortnite‘s paid early access launch, Epic Games made the monumental decision to release a new free-to-play PvP (player vs player) mode called Fortnite Battle Royale.

This new mode took the building and combat gameplay of the original Fortnite and turned it into a 100 player last-man-standing competition. Fortnite Battle Royale drew major inspiration from recent PC hits like PlayerUnknown‘s Battlegrounds and H1Z1.

Epic clearly recognized the rising popularity of the battle royale genre. While Fortnite wasn‘t the first entry, its spin on the formula with building mechanics and fast-paced action stood out from the pack.

Within the first two weeks, over 10 million players had jumped into Fortnite Battle Royale. It quickly became obvious this new mode would eclipse the original Fortnite game.

Here are some key statistics showing the insane early growth of Fortnite Battle Royale:

• Reached 10 million players in under 2 weeks after launch
• Gained over 30 million players by the end of 2017
• Peaked at over 3.4 million concurrent players in February 2018

Fortnite had successfully capitalized on the battle royale hype. But its meteoric rise to the top was just getting started…

Skyrocketing Success in 2018

While 2017 marked the start of Fortnite‘s foothold in the mainstream, 2018 was the year it cement itself as a full blown cultural phenomenon. How did it accomplish such massive growth?

Several factors came together to turn Fortnite into a household name:

• Free-to-Play Model – The game was completely free, eliminating any barrier to entry.
• Accessibility – Cartoony graphics and goofy tone appealed to casual players outside the hardcore crowd.
• Frequent Updates – New weapons, items and places of interest kept gameplay fresh.
• Battle Pass System – Gave dedicated players rewards to work towards by playing.
• Spectator Mode – Allowed streamers to broadcast matches to huge audiences.

By mid 2018, Fortnite had reached a staggering 125 million players worldwide. Monthly active users peaked at 78.3 million that June.

Twitch streamers like Ninja, DrLupo and Tfue pulled in millions of views broadcasting Fortnite matches to legions of fans. Many competed in high stakes tournaments for huge prize pools.

Epic Games pulled in an estimated $3 billion in profit from Fortnite in 2018 alone. All from a free-to-play game! Fortnite had become a mainstream gaming phenomenon on an unrivaled scale.

Still on Top – 2019 to 2022

Fortnite‘s momentum showed no signs of slowing even after its initial breakout year. By March 2019, Epic announced the game had surpassed an incredible 250 million registered players.

Monthly active players peaked again in May 2019 at 83.3 million, even higher than the previous summer. This showed Fortnite had some staying power beyond a fleeting fad.

In April 2020, players spent over 3.2 billion hours playing Fortnite. The average monthly hours per player reached a whopping 24.5 hours.

As of May 2020, Fortnite had reached over 350 million registered players worldwide. And player counts remain massive over 5 years after launch.

Fortnite solidified itself as the most popular battle royale game globally. And arguably among the most impactful games of the late 2010s and early 2020s.

But just how influential has Fortnite been? Let‘s discuss its legacy for gaming and culture as a whole.

Lasting Legacy on Gaming

In many ways, Fortnite has shaped the gaming landscape, especially for hugely popular live service titles. Its impact can be felt across the industry years later.

Here are just some of the trends in gaming that Fortnite helped kickstart or popularize:

• Free-to-Play Model – Fortnite opened the floodgates for major multiplayer titles to go completely free and monetize through cosmetics.

• Games as Live Services – The "never-ending game" philosophy with constant updates and narrative events.

• Battle Pass System – Giving dedicated players long term rewards to grind towards each season.

• Limited Time Events – Using FOMO and special events to drive engagement and social buzz.

• Frequent Content Updates – Rapid addition of new weapons, items, mechanics and map changes.

• Mainstream Collaborations – Integrating popular entertainment properties into the game via limited modes and cosmetics.

• Esports Competitions – Massive tournaments and prize pools for high level competitive players.

Simply put, Fortnite has shaped the business model, development approach and content strategies for multiplayer gaming as a whole. Of course, it didn‘t invent all these concepts, but it undeniably popularized them in ways no game had before.

Years later, nearly every big online game takes cues from strategies Epic pioneered with Fortnite. That speaks volumes about its long term impact.

Concluding Thoughts from a Fortnite Veteran

As someone whose been playing Fortnite since the early days of Battle Royale, I‘ve witnessed firsthand how this game has evolved from an upstart underdog to a record breaking giant.

The fact Epic was able to pivot so quickly into the battle royale space speaks to their development agility and game design skill. Sure, they got lucky with timing and catching a viral wave.

But through constant updates, engagement driving events and an inviting free-to-play approach, they‘ve sustained Fortnite‘s success year after year. Epic‘s live service chops are second to none.

Of course I‘m biased as a fan, but Fortnite just has an intangible fun factor other games rarely achieve. The building mechanics, quick match flow, and goofy personality give it an accessibility and identity all its own.

Kids, teens, adults, casuals, sweats – there‘s something magnetic about Fortnite that appeals to a wide spectrum of people. It truly feels like a digital community phenomenon that transcends just being a video game.

So while the original vision of Fortnite began back in 2011, the unprecedented popularity of Fortnite Battle Royale has made it one of the most influential and important games of recent times.

Not bad for a cartoony shooter that looked like a Hunger Games ripoff at first glance! But millions of excited players, streamers and fans recognized Fortnite‘s magic. The rest is gaming history.