Calling Fortnite OG old-school may be something of a stretch, but the revival of the original version of the game has prompted an outflow of nostalgia among its players. Fortnite OG’s player count shot to over 1 million concurrent players on the regular build mode of Fortnite within just 20 minutes of its release. Another 270,000 players also flocked to the Zero Build mode, all to solidify the Fortnite OG mode’s success.
Fortnite OG’s release details aren’t anything out of the ordinary—it doesn’t boast of new concert events, new dance moves, or new gameplay—but what it does provide is a way for old players to return to the early days of Fortnite, while also giving new players a chance to experience what the beginnings of Fortnite were like.
Fans have access to “OG loot, OG locations, and OG gameplay,” according to the developers, which is why Fortnite OG mode’s success is no surprise.
Image: Fortnite
Skyrocketing Fortnite OG Player Count Shows Us Just How Popular the Battle Royal Game Still Is
Typically, Fortnite OG refers to when Epic Games revives an older map from the Fortnite game in the middle of its new releases. Fortnite’s live service format demands new updates to the game constantly, however, bringing back old fan favorites never hurts their numbers either. This time, however, the OG map is not a temporary one, with key features and weapon loot from Chapter 1 Season 1 making a return
Interest in this particular battle royal game has always been pointedly high and its success as a live-service game is one that many game developers have tried and failed to emulate (yes, we’re all thinking of Concord).
The instant 1 million Fortnite OG player count is also unsurprising, as the launch of the mode and new season came right after the game hit its all-time peak of 14,343,880 players only six days ago. This all-time high was the result of the finale for its recent season, Chapter 2 Remix: The Finale concert, with the event featuring prominent artists like Eminem, Snoop Dog, and Ice Spice. Epic Games sure knows a thing or two about throwing a party.
The 24-hour peak as we write this, stands at 4,024, 606 players, which means that interest in the game is still going strong. With the weekend here, the concurrent player count will only go up even further.
Image: “The loot pool for day one of Fortnite OG will be the same as the loot pool was on day one of Fortnite Battle Royale Chapter 1 Season 1 over seven years ago.”
Fortnite OG Release Details
If you want to understand the content behind Fortnite OG mode’s recent success, then it essentially includes maps, weapons, and season pass rewards from Chapter 1 Season 1, with only a few changes and tweaks to the skins. The movement mechanisms don’t go back to the old ways, so the benefits of the modernization of the game remain. “As far as traversal goes you’ll be able to sprint, slide, mantle, door bash, and move while healing,” Epic Games said in its release update.
The Fortnite OG Pass has 45 tiers of rewards, but the familiar skins that were available—The Skull Trooper, Renegade Raider, and Aerial Assault Trooper—are now slightly different. Named Skull Commander, Renegade Rebel, and Aerial Assault Bomber, these updated versions give old players something new to achieve as well.
There are no additional purchases necessary to access the OG mode, as you can open up the regular Fortnite launcher to play it or the Fortnite OG Zero Build mode. From what we’ve seen of the Fortnite OG Chapter 1 Season 1 season pass details, it will be available only until January 31, 2025. The season for the mode is expected to be a little shorter, but the next one should become available soon after as the Fortnite OG mode for all players is not going anywhere.
With Marvel Rivals launching to huge player numbers marking an early success and Path of Exile 2 also crossing one million pre-orders ahead of its launch, it’s looking to be a good month for gamers.