For over five years, Fortnite has held its own Victory Royale crown for being one of the best Battle Royale titles. It’s not just the infinite range of collaborations with other franchises that makes Fortnite successful, but the constant stream of updating locations, weapons, and the ever-changing meta. Fortnite is a game for everyone, but there are some things that the true “OGs” will remember.
When it comes to Fortnite, there are many things from the previous years that only veterans will remember. Whether it’s a range of Vaulted content or first-ever events, Fortnite has a long history of things that only true veterans will remember with nostalgia.
10 Friendly Fire
For the first few months of Fortnite’s release, friendly fire was enabled. The community was divided by this change at the time, as the friendly fire was the extra risk added to the game against the 100 players. However, fans soon came to see that the lack of friendly fire would benefit the game in many different ways.
Players could no longer troll their teammates by killing them, whether that meant shooting them or exploding them, players were finally safe from the trolling fiends that could sabotage the Victory Royale.
9 Traps And Devices
Amongst the loot that can be found in the many chests of Fortnite, players used to be able to find a bout of different traps and devices. These traps were often reviled by the community, as they enabled players to essentially trap a player in a wall of certain death, thanks to traps like the Ceiling Zapper, Damage Trap, and Poison Dart Trap.
Eventually, these traps were all removed from the game and Vaulted, never to see the light of day. Some players may miss when they could place a Ceiling Zapper and instantly kill an opponent, but other community members are more than happy to keep these traps as memories.
8 Season Shop
In the very early days of Fortnite, Season 1 saw the concept of a Season Shop rather than a Battle Pass. In this Season Shop, players could purchase items with V-bucks depending on their level. The Season Shop saw some of the rarest outfits in Fortnite, like the Aerial Assault Trooper and the Renegade Raider, outfits that have yet to return to Fortnite due to the exclusive nature of Chapter 1, Season 1’s Season Shop.
The Season Shop arrived before the idea of a Battle Pass. Now, players can spend 950 V-bucks to level up and unlock all kinds of cosmetic rewards. It was a great change, as the Season Shop required players to spend real money to buy each item after reaching the specified level.
7 Double Pump Strategy
The Double Pump is the most feared tactic in all of Fortnite. The meta constantly changes, and players always have their loadout to bring into the Battle Royale. However, the Double Pump was a strategy used by basically everybody. That was until it was nerfed in Season 5, making the strategy an impossibility due to the cooldown required when switching shotguns.
The Double Pump strategy involved a player using two Pump Shotguns in their inventory. Players would counter the slow rate of fire by switching back and forth between the two shotguns, allowing for a quick succession of kills.
6 Shopping Carts
The Fortnite community was nervous about the inclusion of vehicles into the Battle Royale. For months, players had been running around the large map, keeping their boots on the ground without the need for fast wheels that help players escape. The first iteration of a vehicle was the quirky Shopping Cart.
The Shopping Cart perfectly encapsulates the early days of Fortnite, as the game was far more cartoonish. The Shopping Cart allowed for two players to ride it, with one pushing, and the other sitting in the cart as a passenger. Now, Shopping Carts are completely obsolete.
5 Rocket Launch Event
June 30th, 2018 saw the very first official Fortnite event take place on the Battle Royale map. Live Events were a rarity, and millions of players were present to experience this world’s first Fortnite event. Within the Rocket Launch event, players would watch as a giant rocket from the Villain Lair POI took off into the sky.
Many players thought this rocket would destroy Tilted Towers, but instead, it created multiple rifts in the sky, becoming the first point of an overarching Fortnite story. The Rocket Launch Event was a miss for some players, as combat was active, meaning players that wanted to witness this historic event could be killed by other players.
4 The Infinity Blade
The Infinity Blade is so infamous and overpowered, that even the official Fortnite Twitter account apologized, claiming they had “messed up” by adding the weapon. There was good reason for this, as Chapter 1 saw the Infinity Blade dominate in the Battle Royale, ensuring that whoever possessed the sword, would get that number one spot.
The Infinity Blade would provide the player with unseen mobility, the ability to almost one-hit any opponent and to break player-built structures with ease. Players would also receive health back per kill, meaning not even an army could stop whoever possessed the Infinity Blade in Fortnite.
3 Fortnite x Avengers
Collaborations between famous franchises have not been unheard of. Games like Mortal Kombat featured prestigious characters like Kratos in their roster before, but it’s safe to say that Fortnite truly unlocked the ultimate potential of collaborations with Fortnite x Avengers.
The collaboration between Marvel and Fortnite has been ongoing for years, with Marvel even receiving its Season in Fortnite. However, it all started with the Infinity Gauntlet limited-time mashup mode in 2018. Thanks to this event, players have seen success in collaborations. It was immense fun to run around the Fortnite map as Thanos with the infinity gauntlet, laying waste to everyone on the island.
2 The OG Map
As of Chapter 4, there have been 4 unique maps to Fortnite so far, with the inevitability of many more Fortnite maps well on the way. The original Fortnite map remains the most nostalgic for Fortnite veterans, and many miss the POIs that the first map had to offer.
Although the other maps have seen iconic Fortnite POIs return, nothing hits harder than the first Fortnite map. The original map was beloved for many reasons, such as Moisty Myers. In new Fortnite maps, there’s a variety of different environments.
1 Victory Royale!
Everyone remembers their first Victory Royale. The intensity and adrenaline that came with competing and surviving against 99 other players, only to come out on top against all odds, is exhilarating. Yet, there’s something oddly soothing about the original Victory Royale screen that reminds players of a homely vibe. Players didn't need the best augments to win back in those days.
As soon as the last player is eliminated, players won’t be able to move anymore, and instead, they will stand still with a blue bar taking over their screen that says “#1 Victory Royale!” There’s no slow-motion effect or victory music, there’s simply the original Fortnite theme that takes over as players return to the lobby.
Fortnite is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.