Ways Fortnite Can Dominate in 2019
More Crossover Events
Arguably one of the biggest crossover events that video games saw in 2018 was Thanos’ cameo appearance in a Limited Time Event in Fortnite. The Infinity Gauntlet mode saw a meteor strike drop the insanely powerful gauntlet from Avengers: Infinity War somewhere on the map. Picking it up saw players transform into Thanos.
That, of course, brought with it some insane powers, such as a laser attack, insanely powerful punch that could destroy objects and deal damage to players, and a massive jump and ground pound attack. Not to mention the increased shield and health.
Not only did this give Marvel fans a way to soak up even more of the Infinity War hype while playing Fortnite, but it showed the potential the battle royale title has to push the boat out. While Blackout and PUBG are stuck in their fairly grounded military sim genre, Fortnite can pretty much do whatever it wants in terms of crossovers.
With Avengers: Endgame hitting the big screen later this year, it almost seems like a cert that we’ll see the Infinity Gauntlet mode return once more, or something to celebrate its release once again. Beyond that, though, what about events to tie in with other big video game releases?
The Keyblade from Kingdom Hearts III sitting atop Polar Peaks? Or perhaps a Demogorgon could appear to wreak havoc in the Fortnite world when Stranger Things Season 3 hits Netflix in July. Heck, you could even get X-Wings and the Millennium Falcon zipping through Fortnite’s skies to celebrate Star Wars: Episode IX’s release.
Epic, hit us up, we’ve got plenty more where these came from!
Ways Fortnite Can Dominate in 2019
Continued Push Into eSports and Competitive Opportunities
2018 saw Epic Games begin to push Fortnite as a viable eSport, and while it was certainly a success in some regards, it’s still got a ways to go before it’s on the same level as Dota or League of Legends as an eSport titan.
While Epic Games poured an enormous $100 million into competitive Fortnite in 2018, with a $1 million prize pool for its Winter Royale event, it didn’t get everything right. The inclusion of the newly-released Infinity Blade in a competitive tournament was a misstep.
It was overpowered, completely altered the balance and meta of the game, and was just new. That all makes for an item that simply shouldn’t be included in a competitive event, and after the community united against the Infinity Blade, it’s unlikely Epic Games is going to make that mistake again.
That being said, 2018 was a solid start for Fortnite’s push into eSports. The giant $100 million prize pool dwarfed that of rival eSports, and the fact it found a way to give your average Joe a chance of taking part gives players a reason to continue playing.
They want to improve and get their hands on that cash money, not to mention the potential to show up big names like Ninja, Dr.Lupo and TSM Myth and make a name for themselves.
For some, playing Fortnite for simple enjoyment is enough, but for others, playing on the competitive stage is the ultimate goal. Epic Games has made big steps to catering to this audience in 2018 and with the same commitment in 2019, it can really establish Fortnite as a dominant name in eSports, and not just as a fun multiplayer video game.
Ways Fortnite Can Dominate in 2019
Releasing Save the World as Free-to-Play
While Battle Royale is arguably the big hitter for Epic Games when it comes to Fortnite, the PvE mode, Save the World, released first but was soon overshadowed. Despite not quite having the same mass appeal as Battle Royale, Save the World is a pretty darn fun game, and the sooner Epic Games makes it free-to-play, the better.
With a variety of different classes with unique abilities, events cropping up every now and then to keep players coming back, and free V-Bucks up for grabs (though whether these will be removed once it goes free-to-play remains to be seen), the two modes would go hand-in-hand in keeping players glued to Fortnite.
Spend some time playing with friends in Save the World, improve those speed-building skills in a less demanding environment, grind out some of those free V-Bucks, and then hop into Battle Royale for some more competitive action and to spend said V-Bucks on a shiny new skin or cosmetic item.
It’s the colorful and over-the-top world of Fortnite that makes it such an appealing title. If Epic can get the final polish on Save the World and release a PvE experience to the masses while Battle Royale still has the buzz around it, we could see Fortnite fever reach a whole new level.
Ways Fortnite Can Dominate in 2019
More Live In-Game Events
Towards the end of Season 6, Epic Games shocked players with the Cube in-game event. Sure, we saw the comet crash, rocket launch, formation of the rift, and lightning strikes to create the cube prior to this, but it was its explosion over Loot Lake that blew players’ minds.
Being transported into a Matrix-like world for a brief few minutes in the middle of a game, players were greeted to a rather magical moment. Following some rather eloquent interactions with a butterfly-like creature, it was time to return to the chaos of the real Fortnite world.
They were spat back out of the rift above the world only to see Loot Lake had been entirely transformed during their brief period of absence. An impressive technical feat, sure, but it’s the community togetherness of these events that makes them feel so special.
In most cases (not everyone can help themselves), players leave would-be enemies alone around these in-game events, allowing them to spectate and enjoy the spectacular moments Epic has created. Sure, you can watch the countless videos of it on YouTube, but it’s not quite the same as being there yourself.
We’re all for changes to Fortnite’s map, but the Cube’s explosion over Loot Lake proved to be a standout for many fans of the game in 2018. We only hope we see more of the same creativity from Epic going forward in 2019.
Ways Fortnite Can Dominate in 2019
Continued Weekly Balance Tweaks & Content Updates
Pobody’s nerfect, and the same thing can be said about video games. Regardless of how compelling Fortnite is right now, there’s always something that could be tweaked or improved upon to make things that tiny bit better. Epic Games knows this, and has been committed to releasing weekly balance tweaks and content updates.
Sure, Epic might not change something immediately that’s deemed ‘broken’ or just a poor addition to the experience by a portion of the fanbase, but that’s what comes with an enormous 200 million player install base. There’s got to be some give and take, but if 2018’s anything to go by, the developer’s got it right nine times out of ten.
Even when the developer does make a wrong step, such as the recently released and pulled Infinity Blade being included in a competitive event, it’s soon to acknowledge its mistakes and put things right.
Yes, the Stormwing Planes and Boomboxes right now are a little bit broken, but we wouldn’t be surprised if a patch nerfs and remedies these in the coming weeks, if not today, even.
As long as Epic Games continues to listen to its community and make adjustments based on player experiences, Fortnite could continue to dominate 2019. It’s already got a massive lead over its competition, now it’s simply a case of maintaining the excitement of getting that Victory Royale, and ensuring there’s ample reason to come back and try.
Published: Jan 8, 2019 11:02 am