For the last few months 100 million people have hopped back onto the battle royale game Fortnite because of the return to the OG/Original Chapter One map. This immense boost in the player base has brought Fortnite back into the mainstream, as many thought that before the game had become too complicated. But why was Fortnite OG needed, what was Fortnite OG, and why was it so successful?
As the name suggests, Fortnite OG was a season which returned Fortnite to the map and the gameplay which was around in 2017-2018. This season came right off the heels of a disappointing half year as the previous two seasons hadn’t lived up to expectations, with chapter 4 season 3 especially being one of the most hated in Fortnite history because of its controversial changes to the map and the loot pool. From June 9th to November 2nd 2023 Fortnite’s player counts had been at some of their lowest points, during this period of time the largest amount of players that had been online at any given time was on August 25, 2023 at 2.7 million people, which is 2/3rd of the lowest point of Fortnite OG being 3.8 million. This was due to most players feeling confused at the newer mechanics which were added in those two seasons. This changed with the OG season.
Fortnite OG brought back the simplicity of the game that had been missed by their player base. This new season would only last for a month, and would consist of weekly map and loot pool changes. These updates incorporated the best features of Chapter 1. Starting in Chapter 1 season 5 and going on until Chapter 1 season 10, each update rotated what weapons, vehicles, and locations that would be on the map. These updates kept the game fresh for the duration of the season and contributed to the success of Fortnite OG.
This season was incredibly successful for Fortnite bringing over 100 Million different players back to the game over the course of the month. Many players attribute this massive success to the nostalgia that’s attached to the OG map. While nostalgia is a factor, it would have worn off after the first few days of the season and their player counts would have most likely dipped again. Most believe that simplicity of everything is the reason that OG was such a massive success for Fortnite.