We’re working on a broad set of features, reworks, and backend system scaling we believe are needed to go free-to-play. Save the World has grown consistently since our launch in July 2017 and Fortnite overall has experienced unprecedented growth. Scaling up for the legions of player heroes who will be joining the fight is key to providing an excellent experience. This applies to all of our players, old and new, so we’re taking the time to get this right.
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Look, I'll be honest here for a minute, this whole business is kind of confusing. I spent the better part of the morning debating with our managing editor, Nick Puleo, about whether or not this announcement applied to just the PvP Battle Royale mode (as everything out there is talking about that), or if it also included the co-op Save the World. Fortunately, Nick Chester - PR at Epic and different Nick altogether - clarified that the cross-play and cross-progression (more on that in a second) applies to both modes, thereby saving Nick (Puleo) and I from having to fight to the death to settle things.
The "Fortnitemare" patch notes can be found in full on the Epic Games' blog, but here are the co-op specific highlights:
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The mode itself is a new take on the familiar horde mode. Prior to dropping into the match proper, players are placed in a staging area where they can construct forts that will be used once things really get going. It's an interesting take and I'm glad to see Epic coming up with new ways to utilize the building mechanics that are at the core of this game. Here's a description of the mode from their blog post announcing it:
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[UPDATE]: Looks like the update went live just a few moments ago. Should be available to download now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Full patch notes can be found here.
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The news came via a Dev Diary video last week as Executive Producer Zak Phelps and Creative Director Darren Sugg addressed the feedback they've received about game crashes across all platforms. The most recent series of patches, which have just about dropped daily since last Friday, have all been aimed at fixing those crashes and improving stability. Around the 3:15 mark they bust out the Survival mode news and it definitely sounds promising. The missions I've encountered thus far have largely been a variation of defending a single point for a set period of time, so having something with this sort of unique challenge where players will have to maintain a defense over the course of several in-game days could be fun. No specific dates are given for this big update, but they hope to get it out "end of August/early September."
Fortnite is due out on PS4, Xbox One and PC and is shooter game with a difference; before facing the hordes you need to build your defenses. How you prepare and work together as a team can make the difference between survival and being zombie chow.
The core conceit to Fortnite, if you've understandably forgotten what this game is even about, is that you and up to three of your best (online) co-op buddies will team up to fight off hordes of enemies at night, and scavenge for materials to build a killer fort during the day. It's part Minecraft, part third-person action shooter, and part tower defense ala Orcs Must Die!. Mix in some loot and you're all set. The concept was very promising when it was first revealed all those years ago, and after this much development, we're hopeful that it's been refined to razor sharp edge... cause it kind of needs to be at this point.
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So why was Fortnite on display? Apple announced a new rendering technology called Metal, which will give developers a performance boost on Apple computers and portable devices. Epic announced full support for the API in it's Unreal Engine 4, which powers Fortnite.
The latest video for this upcoming 4 player online co-op PC title is a meaty Development Diary from the Epic Team behind the game. At over 50 minutes you get a real insight into how developers decide on concepts such as trap and weapon strength, so that the gameplay remains well balanced.
Monster is probably the most accurate way to describe the Husk, one of the types of creatures you'll encounter during your escapades in Epic Games' Fortnite. It turns out that the game didn't always feature an especially cartoony art style, as the developers originally intended for it to emit a much darker, more serious feeling. That's enough from me, though, how about you check it out for yourself:
Epic Games' long awaiting game, Fortnite, will be holding its first online testing beginning tomorrow. For those of you who received invitations to be testing the current version of the game, this is your opportunity to help make it better for us all!
Players will be able to play the Alpha version of Fortnite from December 2nd to Decembe...