Fortnite is a historical game. It was the first game that fully transcended into pop culture. Even Drake played it. No matter what you might think, what Fortnite did for gaming culture makes it one of the significant videogames of all time. Fortnite has over 200 million registered users and holds the title of the most popular videogame of all time by a massive margin, and it still has an unimaginable amount of active players. Fortnite connects people from across the world in a more personal and relatable way than any other medium.
Unexpectedly, after winning the coveted Best Ongoing Game award from The Game Awards, lots of gamers are upset over the choice. The award is usually meant for games that are unique and innovative. A writer for The Sixth Axis stated that what a Game of the Year (GOTY) award winner needs is “lasting appeal, it also has to have that ‘spark’; that undeniable inkling that what you are playing is worthy of the praise” (source: The Sixth Axis). Whether or not Fortnite meets this criterion is debatable, although it has undeniably been a great ongoing game. Every day, new cosmetics and items are loaded into the item shop, which upkeeps the interest of the casual player base.
I certainly believe that it deserves the award, as, at its heart, it is a really great game. This is coming from someone who has 1000 hours in the game and plays the game competitively. For the survival of the game for years to come, and to hold their title for the best ongoing game, Epic will need to begin to be more transparent with their players.
When a game is as big as Fortnite, there will always be lovers and haters and with such a massive player base, that minority doesn’t seem too small. Just visit the subreddit r/FortniteCompetitive; you’ll witness constant outrage towards the decision Epic has made.
Why It Deserves the Award:
● It has 200 million registered players and is the most popular videogame ever.
● Epic Games constantly updates the game with interesting new updates and changes. This is the most important criteria for the best ongoing game.
● The game has a “wow” factor that makes it replayable and memorable
● Everyone has played it. NBA players, rappers, and Thor. From Avengers.
● The gaming community voted on it.
● Everyone has played it. NBA players, rappers, and Thor. From Avengers.
● There is a thriving competitive scene. The Fortnite World Cup has the largest prize pool ever, with $100,000,000 to be won.
Why It Doesn’t Deserve the Award:
● Epic’s community communication has been lacking since season 3. The introduction of ballers in the game is a perfect example of Epic’s disconnection with their pros. People were asking for the removal of planes, so Epic removes it and adds something even more detrimental to the competitive meta.
● The game is filled with bugs and has some major gameplay issues.
● Its concept isn’t unique. Games such as PUBG, H1Z1, The Culling, etc. had the idea for a battle royale game long before Fortnite, but Epic’s execution is what makes the game so great.
● The game’s core gameplay mechanics have been becoming stale.
What’s The Verdict?
With the huge number of players and the continued support for the game, both in terms of monetary and play hours, Fortnite has truly earned every single inch of this award! This, coming from a true, blue Fortnite fan, like yours truly!
PUBG, Fortnite, Whatever-Game fanatic. Food evangelist. Internet ninja. Friendly communicator. Twitter fan. Zombie fanatic.
