5 Dying Games Saved by Hail Mary Publisher Moves
Fortnite
Fortnite was in development for a few years before it finally released into early access in 2017. At first, it was just what we now know as Save the World mode and it saw you trying to protect your team from incoming zombies by building forts. However, it didn’t prove particularly popular at launch.
At the same time, however, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds was beginning its meteoric rise. It was the start of the Battle Royale craze and Epic realised that it could be taken advantage of, and the sooner the better.
Within two months of the base game’s release, before it was known as Save the World, Fortnite Battle Royale was ready to go. The incorporation of the base building, and the lighthearted visuals, into the standard Battle Royale format differentiated it from PUBG, offering fans of the booming genre something different.
Well, it’d be an understatement to say that the move proved successful. Fortnite Battle Royale quickly became the most popular game in the world, and Epic only continued to masterfully build on and change the formula to keep it exciting.
