There you are, hiding in a bush, scared for your life. Out of 100 people, only one other person remains with you. The deadly storm is closing in, and you have to act fast. The storm is getting closer and closer—it’s now or never. You run out of your hiding spot, ready for a fight. Shots are fired from behind. You turn around as quickly as possible and fire twice. Suddenly, Victory Royale reads across the screen, and you start to yell. Immediately, the next move is to get out your phone and post it on Snapchat, Twitter and every other social media site.
Some people will scroll past your post without concern, while others recognize the accomplishment because they are familiar with the September 2017 released video game “Fortnite: Battle Royale,” which is based off of the paid version, “Fortnite: Save the World,” both by Epic Games. The game is a 100-person player versus player setup with only one player or team claiming Victory Royale.
One of the noticeable impacts of the rise of “Fortnite” has been its effect on social media. Many players are known for posting their wins on social media, usually on Snapchat.
“It’s one out of 100 that you win if you’re playing solo,” senior Austin Nykamp said. “That’s pretty slim chances, and that’s a big accomplishment. I think it’s [Snapchat] story worthy.”
As for why these types of posts are so common, it all comes down to pride.
“It’s an addicting game,” said senior Bryce Davis, a self-professed everyday player. “It’s really tough to get a win, so everyone’s striving to get said win, and when you do get it, there’s no better feeling, especially when it comes to video games.”
Within the short period of time it has been available, “Fortnite: Battle Royale” has amassed more than 40 million downloads and peaked at two million concurrent players as of January, according to Rolling Stone.
“Fortnite” has become an integral part in many players’ daily routines, and it has even been substituted for face-to-face time with friends.
“Some days on school nights, I stay up until like 1 a.m., but that’s only if I don’t have any homework, or I know it’s going to be Friday and I can stay up the next night,” senior Bayan Dadressan said. “Multiple times, my boys have asked me to hang out, and I’m like, ‘Why don’t we just stay home and play “Fortnite”?’ It’s pretty much the same thing.”
Avid “Fortnite” players admittedly neglect other responsibilities to play the game.
“[I haven’t missed] anything big—I don’t have a girlfriend—so I don’t have to worry about Valentine’s Day or anything,” senior Jonny Robbins said. “[I’ve missed] maybe a homework [assignment] or two, but other than that, no.”
While many players confess to missing some homework assignments, others confess to missing an entire day of school.
“I skipped school yesterday to play ‘Fortnite,’ not gonna lie,” Nykamp said. “It was the last day of season two. I had to grind.”
Senior Bryce Tricas is on the tennis team with senior Thomas Russell and claims that playing “Fortnite” together has made them better on the court.
“It’s actually pretty funny; since [Thomas and I] are on the tennis team—we’re duos partners—it’s made us better at ‘Fortnite’ and tennis,” Tricas said. “We really know each other like the back of our hands. ‘Fortnite’ gets all the credit for that.”
Another reason for the extreme popularity of “Fortnite” is the fact that the Battle Royale version of the game is free.
“It was free on PS4, so I got it, and my friends got it, and we just started playing together,” Davis said. “The game improved itself, and we improved at the game, so it became more enjoyable.”
Davis’ sentiments are echoed by other players; the fact that the game is free to play is a large selling point for many.
“‘Call of Duty’ costs $50, and if you haven’t played ‘Call of Duty’ before, you don’t want to try it, because you know you’re going to have to spend $50,” Tricas said. “‘Fortnite’ is free—you can just try it. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it, but so many people like it.”
Although players are drawn in by the lack of a price tag, many become regular players, because the game enables them to play and bond with their friends.
“I’ve played with people that I’m good friends with in school, but I’ve also played with random people or people that I don’t really know at this school, and I’ve grown closer to them,” Russell said.
– By Chloe Maynard
