Tilted. Towers. Chug jugs in one gulp. Even the shopping cart is back. Fortnite’s ‘OG’ update has completely changed the game—by returning back to its roots.
If you’ve been living under a rock and aren’t familiar with Fortnite, it’s the free digital phenomenon that’s taken the world by storm since its release back in 2017.
The premise is simple, reminiscent of stories like The Hunger Games and the 2000 film the genre is based on, Battle Royale. Up to 100 players, either alone or working together, skydive out of a flying bus and acquire weaponry and materials on the ground to complete the objective of entirely wiping out the other opponents.
While this is the main mode most players play, Fortnite boasts several other gamemodes alongside player-made maps and missions, many of which are quite popular.
“It’s simplistic. Easy and nostalgic. It’s for all age groups and has skill-based matchmaking, so if you aren’t that good you can still have fun,” junior William Caldwell said.
Fortnite is not unique for its multiplayer system, but it certainly does an excellent job at it. With a built-in chat and microphone system, one does not even need a secondary application to communicate with their teammates in the pre-game.
Adding friends is as simple as getting their username, and once players are linked with them, getting into a party and selecting a match is very simple. Fortnite connects friends and family anywhere, anytime—letting them catch up with each other and play a fun, free-to-play game.
Fortnite’s ‘OG’ update is big. Released November 3rd, the ‘OG’ update serves to turn back the clock on the game’s new features and maps, regressing to an earlier version with… less content? This might sound irrational, but it works. In Fortnite, sometimes less is more—the simplicity of the game is nostalgic for those who played in the earlier days, and new players have a chance to experience what it’s like to play without being bogged down by loads of unnecessary flourish.
“It brings back all the OGs to face off against the sweats,” sophomore Mason McCall said.
To those out of the know, ‘OG’s are those in the community who played in the earlier days of the game, being regarded with an almost veteran status. Sweats, on the other hand, are players with little-to-no talent who try way too hard at the game, creating an unenjoyable experience—a problem many gamers complain about.
Since the game has returned back to its original status, many ‘OG’ players have returned to play with the features they once knew and loved, putting their skills to the test against newer players.
“For me, it’s more competitive based, so if I compete with someone close to my rank, I can use my skills,” Daemon Huddleston said.
Fortnite provides a system of leveling up, allowing players who grow and develop their abilities in-game to compete with other players who have also spent hours training and playing.
Fortnite will run its ‘OG’ update until the end of the month, at which point a new update will be released containing an entirely new map, more features, and loads of fun. Until then, look out for weekly updates to the current season.
Each week, different items and locations will be returned to the game from previous eras of Fortnite, giving players a route down memory lane and the ability to purchase limited-edition items once unavailable.