Summary

  • Fortnite's recent OG event has been a massive success, with millions of players and record-breaking player counts and hours played.
  • Epic Games now faces a dilemma in deciding how to proceed after the event ends, as ending it could result in a loss of momentum and casual players leaving.
  • Extending the event or keeping the original map in rotation could prolong the success but may risk overshadowing future seasons and hurting the game in the long run.

Fortnite has consistently stunned the gaming industry since its meteoric rise to popularity in 2017, showcasing a strong ability to evolve and maintain its level of success ever since. Many players have long believed that the title's luck would eventually run out in this regard, but the recent launch of its OG event has proven that the game's time at the top of the battle royale genre is far from over.

The OG event for Fortnite has been an unstoppable success for the release, seeing the game's playerbase figures reach some eye-watering heights. While this is a positive for the game in the short term, Epic Games is now left in quite a predicament in terms of where Fortnite goes from here. With the core features of the OG event being the biggest reason behind the recent burst of popularity for Fortnite, Epic is stuck between a rock and a hard place in how it handles the title's next steps.

RELATED: Avengers: Endgame Accurately Predicted Fortnite's OG Map​​​​​​

Fortnite OG is a Victim of its Own Success

end of chapter og season og map

Fortnite OG officially launched on November 3, drawing a huge amount of attention in the run-up to its release. As the name suggests, the OG event took Fortnite back to its roots, bringing back the original map of the battle royale as well as the weapons and equipment of its original state. Many fans have a soft spot for this first iteration of Fortnite, with it fostering the earliest memories many people have of the release, even among players who have not played much of the game in recent years.

The original state of Fortnite has become iconic in this way, with it being clear why so many people were looking forward to experiencing a blast from the past with the OG event. Already, the Fortnite OG event has racked up the following accolades for the title:

Fortnite Will Pay a Price For Its Recent Success

While it is easy to get carried away with this recent success, the question remains of how Epic Games will choose to end things with the OG event. As things stand, Fortnite's OG event is set to end on December 2, keeping the time frame of the usual in-game seasons that Fortnite often employs. However, if this goes ahead, along with the removal of the original map, then the game will most likely lose a lot of the steam it has picked up in recent weeks, with more casual players returning to other titles.

The alternative to this would be extending the event beyond its intended end date, or even keeping the original map in rotation alongside whatever map Fortnite returns to once the event ends. While this would prolong the success of the OG event and Fortnite's newfound playerbase, this could run the risk of letting the game's peak die with a whimper instead of a bang. Clinging on to the success of the OG event could step on the toes of Fortnite's following season, ultimately hurting the release in the long run.

Of course, Fortnite is renowned for its ability to stay consistently relevant, and the future will likely bring success regardless of what route Epic Games chooses. Despite this, there are some clear pitfalls of Fortnite using its past for current-day success, and these downsides will be hard to avoid regardless of what happens next.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Fortnite Tag Page Cover Art

Fortnite
Display card tags widget
Survival
Battle Royale
Shooter
Action
Adventure
Display card system widget
Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 super greyscale 8-bit logo PC-1 phone transparent
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget
Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
Display card main info widget
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
Engine
Unreal Engine 5
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
All platforms (except iOS/Mac)
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Number of Players
1-4 players (online)
Genre(s)
Survival, Battle Royale, Shooter, Action, Adventure
Metascore
78
Platforms That Support Crossplay
Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S