Who has never heard of Fortnite ? This trendy type game battle royale Has largely made the headlines in the video game world since it arrived in 2017. But even if you know the goose that lays the golden eggs of Epic Games, you might not know all the trivia that surround it.
1. Long years of development
Released in 2017, Fortnite was announced in… 2011 at the SpikeTV Video Game Awards! It took 6 years for Epic Games to develop the game which had been described as ” a world where you explore, recover, build, and ultimately survive. Part of the reason it’s been that long is because the announcement was made just three weeks after the idea came to Epic Games. A demo of the game was sent to the press four years later, before the final version was released two years later in 2017.
2. Fortnite is not Fortnite…
Make no mistake: the first version of Fortnite released in July 2017 is simply not the one played by millions of players around the world. In this article we are talking about Fortnite Battle Royale, unveiled in September of the same year to compete with PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The main game, simply called Fortnite (then Fortnite Save the World) was sold at 40 euros – the mode battle royale being free – and the story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in which four players had to survive against zombies. Not the same atmosphere!
3. Huge income
And Fortnite Battle Royal is free, there are many microtransactions in the game that allow you to buy characters, costumes or items to go with them. And obviously, it pays a lot. In 2018, the game grossed $ 2.4 billion at Epic Games, and 1.8 billion in 2019. If the figure is down over one year, the sums remain gigantic for a game that can be played for free.
4. Un tweet viral
Who said that Fortnite and studies didn’t mix well? In February 2018, a high school chemistry teacher in Ohio State, United States made a bet with his students: If their tweet of their agreement with supporting photo exceeds 6,700 retweets, Fortnite will be the subject of the second semester exam. Obviously, the tweet quickly went viral, and has exceeded 25,000 shares.
Twitter do your thing please help me I need to pass this class #Fortnite #APChem #APChemistry pic.twitter.com/izckLvrbFx
– Jilli Zuz (@JillianZuzolo) February 23, 2018
5. Fortnite to defeat the Avengers
Sorry Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and the other Marvel superheroes, but Epic Games’ game has been stronger than you. In April, during the week of its release, Avengers : Infinity War raised $ 250 million. The same month, Fortnite earned $ 296 million. And we remember that in 2018, the game brought in 2.4 billion; the Marvel film went up to 2 billion.
6. When parents take Fortnite seriously
While some parents have prohibited their children from playing Fortnite and to shut themselves up in its infinite world, others have scented the goose that lays golden eggs. According to Wall Street Journal in 2018, some parents paid guardians – up to $ 35 an hour – to train their children to be the best on Fortnite.
7. Millionaire in three clicks
In 2019, Bugha, aged only 16, competed in the World Cup in Fortnite and won it against many opponents. And while every competitor was sure to walk away from the tournament with $ 50,000, Kyle Giersdorf, whose real name was meanwhile won $ 3 million. Just that.
8. Dances and trials…
The dances of Fortnite are inspired by real dances, like that of Carlton from Prince of Bel-Air popularized by its interpreter Alfonso Ribeiro, and the famous floss de Russell Horning, alias « backpack kid », young dancer who revealed himself during a performance of Katy Perry. Problem is, Epic Games’ game used and copied their moves to sell millions of dollars without their permission. Several complaints have been filed, but none went to the end.
9. … and a dance Fortnite banned from a high school
Dance « floss » is the most popular among gamers, and has even made a place for itself in pop culture, stretching far beyond the borders of Fortnite. But a primary school in England doesn’t see it the same way. In Devon, a school has banned its use because he felt that Fortnite rewards the ” mass murder of other human beings ” by one ” celebration dance ».
10. Even the stars love Fortnite
The famous American steamer Ninja performed in front of 628,000 spectators with rappers Drake and Travis Scott. But other celebrities have tried the game since 2018: singer Joe Jonas and actor Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) especially. The game has even been the scene of concerts with Travis Scott and Diplo – which brought together 12 million people -. Other events are expected in the coming months.
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