Fortnite, the game that’s keeping everyone up at night, is the latest and greatest gaming craze. Thanks to the new release of its Battle Royale mode and appraise in social media, Fortnite has amassed ten million players in just two weeks after the update, giving the gaming platform a total following of forty million players since its original release late last year. For those of you unfamiliar with the game, its setup is often times compared to the Hunger Games in that you are placed in a landscape with ninety-nine other competitors where you collect resources, weapons, and ammunition as you try to survive both the encompassing storm and gunfire.

This game is one of the best and most entertaining ways to enjoy your time. This probably explains why so many US students put this game into their bucket list for “things to do” over the weekend. Players have become addicted to the strategy of the game and can’t seem to be able to put the remote down and pick the homework up. But what is responsible for the player loyalty that the game has been able to establish? This popularity is most likely due to the fact that you can play online with your friends against a group of strangers. Although this is not a new concept, it is a major factor that has allowed Fortnite to attract a crowd that rarely ever plays video games. Being able to progressively develop chemistry with your team can be very rewarding as you surpass others in the fight for first. Even opening treasure chests and finding the best weapon in the game is extremely satisfying, but what really makes the game stand out from all other battle royale games is its implementation of user-generated creativity. As a player, not only are you trying to fight off other enemy players by shooting and laying traps, but you are also able to build elaborate forts out of the resources that you have collected or even build bridges and stairways into the air to escape danger. I don’t reckon that the millions of players, including our US student body, will be putting their remotes down any time soon, and I imagine that there will be plenty of long nights ahead of us.