Fortnite Frenzy Hits Mainstream Media With Epic Mania

Since Fortnite first hit the scene with its free-to-play beta, it's PUBG-inspired Battle Royale mode has been a smash hit. There are now 45 million players and 3.4 million active users in Fortnite and it's now surpassed PUBG as the most watched game on Twitch. Such breakout success in such a short amount of time is no small accomplishment and as a result, mainstream media has begun to pay more attention.

Athletes and celebrities have been taking to Twitter to express their love of the game. Raiders Quarter Back Derek Carr has been talking about his addiction to the game:

What’s y’alls best @FortniteGame finish!?!? My dog @Brandonjones5_ put me on!!! I just finished 3rd! #NotAcceptable #Going4Gold #IfYaAint1st

— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) February 27, 2018

Rick and Morty Co-Creator Dan Harmon has been curious about getting in on the action, but doesn't seem very social:

when you play fortnite do you have to play with other people? I play video games because i hate other people

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) March 4, 2018

Probably the most interesting, or at least out of left field, tweet came from none other than sitcom queen Roseanne who has apparently been kicking butt and taking names: 

I have 20 fortnite victory royale wins

— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) February 27, 2018

Along with a growing fandom, traditional news and media outlets have started profiling Fortnite:

Of course, not every profiling paints Fortnite or video games in general in a positive manner. A recent feature on Good Morning America pondered the addictive nature of titles like Fortnite. The GMA piece did go on to state that as games trend towards online group experiences that there could be positive social repercussions to gaming. 

Whether or not someone wants to believe the hype, it basically costs nothing to find out one way or another if Fortnite is a good fit since it's a free-to-play title. We reached out to the Fortnite dev team to find out if they had any tips or good places to drop in on the Battle Royale map:

"I love Anarchy Acres - nice mix of indoor/outdoor and medium range engagements, and usually sets you up for a good mid-game position.
Or Tilted Towers. Ride or die." - Eric Williamson, Lead Designer

"The place that [streamer] CDN lovingly calls 'Yonder Yards,' but it's the unmarked warehouses in the south... they're incredible for our try hard runs!" - Zack Estep, Executive Producer

Players can download Fortnite now for free on PS4, Xbox One, and PC and see for themselves what all the hype is about. 

Blake Morse

Events Coordinator

Blake has been writing and making videos about pop-culture and games for over 10 years now. Although he'd probably prefer you thought of him as a musician and listened to his band, www.cartoonviolencemusic.com. If you see him on the street, buy him a taco or something. Follow him on twitter @ProfRobot