Since the start of Chapter 5, Fortnite has emphasized adding more and more official modes to the game. Fortnite has introduced new modes like LEGO Fortnite and Fortnite Festival to expand beyond the original Battle Royale mode that brought Fortnite to the forefront of the multiplayer gaming space.
Some of Fortnite's newer modes distanced themselves from the game's Battle Royale roots, while others have embraced the Battle Royale format but have introduced a gimmick to the mode to keep it interesting. Fortnite added Fortnite Reload last year, which was a fast-paced, squad-focused version of Battle Royale that allowed players to automatically reboot after being eliminated as long as at least one player on their team was alive. While Reload has continued to be a popular alternative to Battle Royale — and even received a new Squid Game-inspired map last month — Fortnite's most recent Battle Royale variant has taken the playerbase by storm.
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Fortnite's Future With Blitz Royale
A Boom in Popularity For Fortnite's Newest Mode
Introduced earlier this season, Fortnite's Blitz Royale is a new take on the Battle Royale format. Instead of Fortnite's typical 100-player count, Blitz Royale only has 32. The mode places them on a small map and gives each player a medallion and a weapon as soon as they spawn. The result is a hectic firefight that only takes five minutes to complete.
Blitz was initially intended to be a limited-time mode — or LTM. It was released shortly after Fortnite returned to the iOS App Store in the US, with the goal of providing a version of Battle Royale that would be more accessible for mobile players. However, Blitz has since skyrocketed in popularity. Less than two weeks after its release, Blitz achieved a concurrent player count of 414,245. By comparison, Battle Royale's peak concurrent player count record was 184,888, while Zero Build's record was 207,438.
Blitz Royale is Here to Stay
Due to its continued popularity, Fortnite delayed the mode's departure before eventually deciding to keep it around as a permanent addition. The mode has continued to receive weekly updates, each of which has introduced a new theme and loot pool. Fortnite has confirmed that, starting August 2, Blitz Royale's next theme will be Dragon Ball and will see the return of the Kamehameha item.
Besides its constant updates, Blitz is receiving two new spin-off modes: Six Stack and Pure Chaos. Six Stack will let players queue in teams of six, while Pure Chaos will give players siphon abilities and pit them against higher-skilled opponents. Not only is this exciting news for Blitz players, but it shows just how high a priority Blitz has become for Fortnite.
Since its release last month, Blitz has gone from being a temporary experience intended for mobile players to a permanent mode that receives weekly updates and already has two new variations set to release.
This is more attention than other Battle Royale alternatives like Reload received in a similar period, and it's more attention than the original Battle Royale has received since Chapter 6 Season 3 began. With how quickly Fortnite and its players alike have shifted their attention towards Blitz, it's looking like this new mode will be the focus for the foreseeable future.
Why a Blitz-Focused Future Makes Sense
It's no surprise as to why Fortnite would want to prioritize Blitz Royale. Even taking the mode's accessibility and immense popularity out of the equation, Blitz is a much simpler mode to provide updates for. It has a smaller player count, a smaller map, and utilizes preexisting content.
Unlike Battle Royale, which is expected to introduce new mechanics and sandbox items each season, Blitz pulls its content from Fortnite's preexisting library of loot, medallions, and assets. Since Mega City has returned to the mode's map, even POIs can be recycled in Blitz. With Battle Royale's next Fortnite season expected to release soon after Blitz Royale's next update, it will be interesting to see if the game's original mode can reclaim players' attention or if Blitz Royale's momentum continues.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- September 26, 2017
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
- Publisher(s)
- Epic Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms (except iOS/Mac)
- Cross Save
- Via Epic Account
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- PC Release Date
- September 26, 2017
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- November 10, 2020
- PS5 Release Date
- November 12, 2020
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- June 12, 2018
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- June 5, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-4 players (certain modes)
- X|S Optimized
- YES
