Random Post 2

Where We Dropping Boys?

a Fortnite analysis by Collin Abe

Feels like just the other day... the first time I saw the celebrated "Victory Royale" pop up on my screen as me and my squad achieved our very first win in Fortnite. For those who are not familiar, Fortnite is a very popular third-person shooter battle-royale structured game, which I will try my best to explain simply. When the game first starts, the map is very large for the 100 player lobby, and players begin on a flying bus, commonly referred to as the "battle bus". Players then jump off the battle bus at a desired time, hoping to reach their desired location on the map. This is where the common phrase "where we dropping?" stems from. Once landed, individuals or teams battle it out through the use of many weapons and building techniques as the map shrinks and becomes smaller until there is only one remaining individual or team.

Although there is nothing remarkable about this game which makes it stand out against the rest, it was and still is free-to-play. This enabled many people to gravitate towards this game when it first came out. Not only was I playing with my friends, but it seemed like everyone was playing from celebrities like Drake to all star level athletes such as LeBron James. Due to the popularity, the game grew massively and was constantly updated to intrigue its users, especially during the pandemic. For example as they knew almost everybody was quarantining within their homes, they provided a concert experience in collaboration with Travis Scott, one of the most exciting rappers of our generation. Players were able to jump around, "emote" (dance), and get a concert experience from home. I remember experiencing this concert in real time with all of my friends, and it is something that I will always remember. Fortnite also put together some more concerts during this time with other notable artists like Dominic Fike and Marshmello.

Just as I will never forget the Travis Scott "concert", there is much more about this game that will always hold a special place in my heart. From staying up late trying to win with my friends to just simply socializing over the headset while playing, Fortnite was a fundamental part of my teenage life as hard as it may be to admit. It is not just the game, but the memories while playing the game that makes Fortnite so nostalgic to not just me but many other users all over the world. On one night, me and one my friends decided to join a random team, and met another kid named Wilson from London. We instantly became friends with Wilson and still talk to him every once in a while. Wilson was not the only friend that was made through this game as some of my best friendships in high school were formed through this game. However, as the game was constantly adding new things to the game, I felt that it was not the same and eventually drifted away from Fortnite over time.

That was until last Friday (11/3), when Fortnite made another update, but this update restored the game to its "original" gameplay and features before all the new updates. As I heard the news, I immediately texted my high school friends, and we played all night long. Reminiscing about the good times and destroying other teams, it was a great time and definitely not the last time I'll play.