What is the appeal of Fortnite? Is it the constant collaboration between itself and other popular media, or is there more to it? When a free video game has some of the most recognizable characters from anime, like characters from Dragon Ball and Naruto, along with real-life people like Lebron James and Tyler Blevens, it's hard not to be intrigued. It's much more likely you'll desire to play a game if it contains the characters you love in it. But there was once a time when Fortnite contained original content only, despite the fact that it was inspired by previously existing ideas and games. Fortnite has been the center of the gaming world for around 6 years now, and while it has had its highs and lows in terms of player population and popularity, it remains one of the most influential games of all time. But what was Fortnite's initial appeal, and how did Epic Games craft one of the most popular video games of all time?

The battle royale genre was hot, and Epic Games decided to capitalize on it. But in doing this, they detract attention from their original focus. The new game they were working on was Fortnite, but not Fortnite Battle Royale. Before what we all know and recognize as Fortnite, there was Fortnite Save the World. This was the initial idea for Fortnite, not a battle royale. Eventually, the side mode known as Fortnite Battle Royale surpassed the main mode and it was left to be forgotten, despite still being playable. Save the World is a zombie defense game where players work together to fight off zombies from their bases and it is still loved by fans, but it failed to reach the popularity that its side mode had reached. This eventually leads to a lack of care, updates, and unfulfilled promises.

Soon after the release of Fortnite Save the World in 2017, Epic Games released Fortnite Battle Royale. Fortnite Battle Royale was the culmination of the battle royale genre. Battle royales were no new concept, but taking influence from thriving games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, H1Z1, and Minecraft Hunger Games, Epic Games was able to fully realize the potential of the genre. Fortnite Battle Royale played similarly to other battle royale games of the time, with the goal of the player to be the last man standing and gathering resources and loot to achieve this. But where this game really set itself apart from the others was the implementation of Save the World's building mechanic.

Save the World's building mechanic was fairly simple, but essential to the gameplay. Players were given much freedom when it came to building bases and being able to place walls, floors/ceilings, and stairs. Creativity and innovation were encouraged, and when applied to the battle royale game concept it led to a very unique and fun way of play. New forms of resource management, defense, and offense are introduced to the player. For many, this is an essential part of the Fortnite gameplay formula, for others, it's a useful tool. Building in Fortnite is simple and a fairly easy system to grasp so players would continue to evolve and get more skilled with the tool.

Building is fun and all, but there are many aspects of the initial Fortnite experience that made it so enjoyable. The map was another contributing factor to Fortnite's success. Full of unique and memorable locations, Fortnite's map was large and very fun to survive on. The atmosphere and sound design help add to the virtual survival experience. The developers at Epic Games had a level of creativity that no other could imitate. 

Early Fortnite's cosmetics and content lacked in comparison to what we have now, but at the time it was more than enough. Seasons one through three were the simplest, but each one expanded upon the prior. Season three had so many changes that overall expanded on the Fortnite experience. There was also a higher focus on cosmetics after season one, and people would sink money into the game without hesitation. The introduction of the battle pass in season two created a trend of value for hard work and progression. Fortnite was simple during these times, but that simplicity helped please players whenever anything new was added.

Content creators are possibly the biggest cause for Fortnite's rise to and continued fame. As more and more huge streamers and Youtubers hopped onto the trend of playing Fortnite, the more exposure and love the game got. Epic Games worked to please the players, and especially the content creators, Streamers like Ninja and Tfue are among some of the recognizable within the gaming community, and these names had a presence outside of the Fortnite and gaming communities.

Season four was huge for Fortnite because it was the first season to have a collaboration with another media, and it was with one of the biggest and most popular. Since it was just a game mode, players could experience this event free of charge because Fortnite Battle Royale is free (which is another contributing factor to Fortnite's success.) The successful collaboration with Marvel in season 4 made Epic Games aware of the profit that comes with collaborating with outside media. From there on out, Epic Games would add more and more crossovers and collaboration in the form of cosmetics and game modes, along with changes to the main game.

So what really is the appeal of Fortnite? It's the innovative and unique gameplay, along with the community built around it. The crossovers help, but there's much more to it. The buildup of hype surrounding the game always has people excited, and when game developers deliver what the players want, it's hard not to enjoy the game. Streamers and Youtubers drove people in, and Epic Games managed to appease most. Fortnite only really started to die down after Epic made undesired and, in the players' eyes, bad updates. Keeping the players satisfied is easier said than done, but Epic Games was capable of doing it for so long, which led to the build-up of an unbelievably large player base.