'Zero Build' Breathes New Life Into Fortnite Esports
Fortnite gained a reputation for inventing its own flavor of battle royale. So when Epic Games released a zero-build mode that made Fortnite more like its competitors, the decision caused quite a stir among players. Now that Zero Build is a permanent option, Epic has opened the flood gates to players who otherwise stayed away.
Epic's brightly-colored, fast-moving, competitive game so beloved by children actually started as a zombie survival game. The goal was to build a shelter and survive two weeks under attack - i.e. a fortnight. At the height of PUBG's popularity, Epic created a battle royale mode for Fortnite and the rest is history.
As with any competitive title, there will always be complaints/excuses from both sides - one faction claims that you have to be good at building, not shooting, to win, and therefore it's not a "real shooter." Others say that the ability to build AND shoot is the whole idea of Fortnite and if you don't like it, you should just play a traditional FPS.
Above: a meme created to imply that if you can't win Fortnite without building, you were never a good shooter in the first place. (From Spider-Man: Homecoming)
Zero Build was originally meant to be a temporary event, although I'm sure that Epic was testing its audience to gauge long-term interest. As soon as it became apparent that Zero Build was a success, the mode became a permanent addition.
Renewed Interest
Fortnite users who had churned or weren't previously interested in the game suddenly came out of the woodwork to try it. Fueled by competition (Twitch Rivals, Zero Build Squads Lightning Cup), viewership of the title skyrocketed.
According to Gamesight, average Twitch viewership jumped 98% to 132.2K in the two weeks since launch, and hours watched climbed 99% to an impressive 52.3 million hours.
Even Dr DisRespect, one of Fortnite's biggest critics, joined his buddies in the game and had to admit that he had a good time.
"I feel like the Fortnite no build mode was built for me," the 2x back-to-back 1993-1994 video game champion said on Twitter. "Super athletic, high mobility, slide 360 sniper shots, shotty in your face etc etc."
NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert called the new mode "Electric," and game journalist Jake Lucky likened the phenomenon to a trip back in time.
"Bro Fortnite takes away building and Tfue and Cloakzy make a return to win a $100,000 tournament like it's 2018 all over again wtf is life," he tweeted.
Familiar, But New
Even with Zero Build, Fortnite maintains the visual brand and in-game mechanics that made it famous. Players now have the option to play with or without building - allowing new or returning players to enjoy the new mode without isolating existing fans.
Epic Games can only benefit from this development. Viewership traditionally drops off in between Season premieres and tournaments but now the game has two modes to stream to keep the interest alive.
An additional game mode allows:
"Regular" Fortnite with building features will no doubt remain a staple for the franchise, but a good old-fashioned shooter can help expand Epic's super-franchise even further.
By?H.B. Duran
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