Fortnite introduces a Battle Royale mode to its sandbox survival base trap-building schemes. Battle Royale is a 100-person player-vs-player mode. Donald Mustard, Worldwide Creative Director at Epic Games, basically admits that the sudden popularity of games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and H1Z1 inspired Epic's decision to bring a Battle Royale component to Fortnite.
Two years ago, it was Star Wars: Battlefront. Last year, it was Overwatch. This year, it's PUBG. Next year, it'll be something else. But PUBG's right-place-right-time application of the Battle Royale formula is forcing major publications reconsider what's eligible for their Game of the Year talks. PUBG is currently the multiplayer shooter that all other multiplayer shooters are judged by.
Fortnite recognized all this, sooner than most, or at least with the time, ability, and resources to do something about it. Fortnite Battle Royale will have the 100-player PvP, and they'll even fly in on a "Battle Bus" and parachute in, just like PUBG. But from there, it incorporates more Fortnite elements, like the base-building mechanic, of course. I didn't see a constantly encroaching circle of death to drive the players together, but we'll see. If it's just a countdown timer and a gameplay mechanic that allows you to turtle inside your homebrew base, then I don't see why anyone would come out. Seems counterintuitive to the Battle Royale process, but I don't know.
Fortnite Battle Royale public test is available now. And comes to Early Access players on September 26. Fortnite is still aiming for a 2018 free-to-play launch.
