Fortnite is one of the most popular battle royale games out there, and even after facing stiff competition from games like Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone, it has been able to stand out. The game brings exciting new events and collaborations with other popular brands at regular intervals to keep the players hooked on their seats.
Fortnite last year reported $6 billion in revenue and had over 230 million active users monthly. Despite such success and a strong place in the battle royale scene, rumors surfaced on the internet alleging that the game was shutting down, leaving fans and players concerned.
Is Fortnite Shutting Down?
The long-running battle royale game has been going through several changes since last month. The prices for V-Bucks, the in-game currency in Fortnite, increased; Donald Mustard, the Chief Creative Officer at Epic Games, announced his departure; Epic Games recently laid off nearly 900 employees; and there were also reports that the game was not able to meet financial expectations.
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While all this was going on, a rather serious rumor started appearing on social media platforms claiming that Fortnite is shutting down and will end in 2024, which left fans and players concerned about the game and its future. However, it was just a hoax, and the game is here to stay, hopefully for many, many years.
The rumors started with an image that was shared, alleging it was from the official account of Fortnite, stating that the game would end in 2024, but to put everyone at ease, the shared images were fake, and the game is not going anywhere. The rumors were put out to gain traction and drive engagement, as they are with social media platforms.
The rumors came at the time of Epic Games laying off almost 16 percent of its workforce and the departure of Donald Mustard, but there is no conclusion that it will affect Fortnite and that it will end, especially when there is nothing concrete from developers stating such. Epic Games CEO, in a letter to employees after layoffs, said,
“For a while now, we’ve been spending way more money than we earn, investing in the next evolution of Epic and growing Fortnite as a metaverse-inspired ecosystem for creators. I had long been optimistic that we could power through this transition without layoffs, but in retrospect, I see that this was unrealistic. We’re cutting costs without breaking development or our core lines of businesses.”
Fortnite has a massive reach in both player base and earnings, regardless of what reports state about its financial position. Another major aspect of the game is free-to-play multiplayer, which is very much a selling point apart from collaborations and amazing features. It is also important to know that there were rumors back in 2018 and that the game is still here, much better and stronger.
What’s Next in Fortnite?
Despite the rumors of a shutdown from people who have nothing better to do than just create confusion and unrest among the Fortnite community, the game has been going strong since its release, which is currently in Chapter 4 of Season 4. The game will soon bring “Fortnitemares,” the Halloween-themed event, later this month for players.
The game brings new spooky in-game items and horror-themed weapons for its characters, with leakers hinting at the arrival of a Swamp Fishstick, Shadow Meowscles, and Molton Love Ranger. There are also reports that a “vampire stake” shotgun and Kado vampire boss with special animations will grace the game with the Fortnitemares event, but nothing can be said certain as the game always surprises its players with unusual but incredible additions.
The event has been a major one since the game’s inception in 2017, so it is bound to make a comeback. The current Chapter 4 Season 4 is slated to end on November 2, 2023, and we are likely to hear the announcement for the next chapter soon. Another major hint at the game staying is the arrival of former Riot developer Charlie Wen as the new CCO at Epic Games.
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What are your thoughts about these rumors of Fortnite shutting down? What are you looking forward to in the game with the Fortnitemares event? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: X
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