A teenage boy spends his free time in his room staring at a screen of flashing lights. As his game tells him he came in second place, he slams his controller to the floor and storms out of his room in anger.  Fortnite, the new game that is trending worldwide, has hooked him and millions of other players worldwide to play for hours on end; However, those who do not play the game wonder, “What makes it so popular?”

What is Fortnite?

In terms of gameplay, Fortnite starts with one hundred people on an island. The main goal is to kill the other players so that you can be the last one standing.

The game was released in 2011 but became really popular in 2018.

Why is it so popular?

There are several reasons for this. First of all, it’s so accessible. It is a free game where paying money only grants cosmetic items that have no impact on the gameplay. It is also available on mobile, console, and PC devices. This allows for more people to be able to access and play it. Not only that, but it is cross-platform, meaning that people can play with their friends on different devices (such as PC playing with consoles), which is something that most games do not allow.

Additionally, Fortnite is enjoyable with friends. The game requires good teamwork and communication, persuading people to become better at these two skills. The game has an in-game voice chat that allows you to speak with the other players. This makes the game entertaining since you can chat and work together with your friends, and even make new friends in the process.

Many people like to play Fortnite because of its style. They prefer the cartoon art style over the realistic art style of many other shooting games. Dylan Romain, an 8th-grade student, stated, “I think the cartoon art style is better because it is not graphic and violent [like most other shooting games].” Even with the different style, players can still get the same fast-paced action.

Part of Fortnite’s success is because of the way their multiplayer is set up. Players can play by themselves, or in groups of up to four people. Players can also use the built-in matchmaking system to find random teammates to meet and play with.

The Dangers of Playing

Players feel great when they win, but is playing the game actually healthy?

Many parents are complaining about how their children stare at a screen for hours and become “mindless zombies.” Studies show that the company has manipulated the rewards system to make players want to come back.

“I almost lost my boys to Fortnite,” said one parent.