Fortnite started as an internal Epic Games project in 2011, spent years in development, and only became a global hit in 2017 when Epic added a free battle royale mode. That mode brought in tens of millions of players, and the game has since grown into concerts, creator tools and several separate experiences.

A game jam and a long wait

In 2011 Epic ran an internal game jam, and one idea inspired by Minecraft and Terraria grew into Fortnite. It was meant to be a co-op survival game, which is now the Save the World mode. Epic wanted to run it as a live service, so the team had to upgrade its engine and rethink the design. Tencent invested in Epic during this period, and the project was reshaped, with the tone moving from dark survival to something lighter and more colourful. The game spent years out of the spotlight before it launched in early access in 2017.

Battle royale changes everything

PUBG showed in 2017 how popular large-lobby shooters could be. Epic built its own battle royale mode in a matter of weeks and released it free. Players showed up quickly: the mode was reported to pass 10 million players within about two weeks. The cartoon style set it apart from PUBG's realism, and it made crossovers easy, so Save the World was pushed to the background.

The rivalry shaped the genre. If you want the direct comparison, we wrote one: Fortnite vs PUBG.

Streaming, celebrities and esports

Twitch became the game's home. Streamers such as Ninja drew record audiences, and music and film brands moved in. The 2019 Fortnite World Cup offered a $30 million prize pool, a number that put the game at the centre of esports. Our Fortnite esports guide explains how the competitive scene works today.

Fortnite as a platform

  • Save the World eventually launched in full as a separate co-op mode.
  • Creative lets players build their own maps and games.
  • Fortnite Festival, inspired by rhythm games, arrived in 2023.
  • Rocket Racing came from a collaboration with the Rocket League developers.
  • LEGO Fortnite added a survival-crafting mode.

Epic has also announced further versions of its Creative tools. The common thread is that Fortnite now acts more like a platform than a single game.

Where the story goes

Live events keep moving the plot forward and sometimes rebuild the map, as we describe in the live events guide. If you play and want to see what we offer, the Fortnite cheat page covers it, and permanent-ban risk applies.