How Fortnite brought live-service game revolution in modern era of video games

Fortnite is a game that needs no introduction. Since its 2017 release, it has captured the hearts of millions of Battle Royale enthusiasts. Coupled with the consistent collaborations with other major franchises, this Epic Games title has been going strong.

However, that is not the only perk this game has to offer. It is considered to be the best live service game available from Epic Games. What exactly is a live service game? It's a game that receives regular updates and new content after its initial release, with the aim of encouraging players to continue playing for years to come.

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Early days of Fortnite and rise to the top

Lady Gaga at the Fortnite Festival (Image via Epic Games)

Epic Games has cracked this genre's finest detail with its magnum opus. However, it wasn't always the case. Initially, the game focused on cooperative PvE gameplay, where players had to fight against zombies and construct buildings. As the game was launched, the Battle Royale genre, thanks to games like PUBG, started gaining popularity.

Thus, Epic Games decided to jump on the bandwagon and earned success like no other. However, what truly made Fortnite a success was the live service game aspect of it. The developers started collaborations with popular franchises to gain players. They started by collaborating with Marvel Studios and then consistently built upon it.

Currently, players can dance in the zone with Eminem while swinging with Spider-Man. Fortnite has now transcended gaming, becoming a cultural phenomenon on its own. Naturally, other gaming companies wanted to replicate the success that the Epic Games title has achieved. This led to a shift in the industry, with many top brands like PlayStation and Rockstar Games trying to copy its success.

Under the leadership of Jim Ryan, PlayStation decided to push multiple live service games like The Last of Us Multiplayer title. Their current titles like Destiny 2 also follow a live-service game route. Furthermore, Genshin Impact, and now Honkai: Star Rail gained massive success following the footsteps of the Epic Games title. One worthy challenger for the title emerged as Rockstar Games’ GTA Online.

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How is the Epic Games title still improving itself?

LEGO Fortnite mode (Image via Epic Games)

But the creators of the live-service crown jewel were ready to take on this challenge, too. Epic Games has not stopped building upon its star title despite it becoming a wildly successful live-service game. One of the biggest steps forward would be returning to OG and introducing UEFN. The former was able to bring back many old-time players and streamers back to the title, proving the game still has a lot left to offer.

The introduction of UEFN, on the other hand, was a masterclass from Epic Games. Now gamers are free to create multiple new games inside the Epic Games title, leading to an ever-growing player base.

Fortnite has become a trailblazer in the live service game revolution with such moves one after the other. It will be exciting to see what Epic Games has in store for the game's future.