You’re on an island in the middle of nowhere for about 20 seconds, then all of a sudden you’re on a bus flying through the air connected to a hot air balloon. You have around 36 seconds to leave the bus, land somewhere on the map, collect materials, and be the last to survive in a “Hunger Games” style battle royale with a fatal storm enclosing the combat area.

The video game Fortnite has swept the globe. Social media has been in a frenzy with people constantly posting their highlights and Fortnite wins. Even celebrities like Drake, Travis Scott and Post Malone have joined the wave of playing the rapidly growing pastime. Drake has been one of the highlight celebrities by being in gaming cohorts with famous Twitch streamer, Ninja.

The universal popularity of the game has of course reached gamers here at North Atlanta High School. When there is downtime in classes it’s almost a guarantee that students will whip out their smartphones and play the game. “It’s one of the greatest free games ever released,” junior Alex Meneses said.

As of April 2018, Fortnite is the top free game in the market. Players can do a range of activities in the game like buy skins which changes the outfits of the characters, and use a variety of guns and weapons. Another standout feature about the game, is the players’ ability to create buildings and forts to survive in the game. “I love Fortnite because there’s just so much you can do,” senior Shemar Williams said.

Fortnite only has two distinct game modes, “Battle Royale” and “Save the World.” The “Save the World” mode is a pay version. It’s been described as a co-op survival game and is about exploration, scavenging items, crafting weapons, building fortified structures and fighting waves of encroaching monsters. The more popular game mode is the free “Battle Royale.” The game features different sessions including group play with “squads” or two-player “duos” or all-by-yourself “solos.”
There new madcap way to play is the outrageously crazy “50 vs 50” version where where teams of 50 people fight it out until only one team is left. “This game is so much fun,” said sophomore Javier Adelman said. “When you grind out a performance with your friends or by yourself and get a win, it makes you want to do it over and over again.”

Fortnite has taken up the time of millions across the globe. No matter what console you have Fortnite is compatible with all platforms including iPhone, PlayStation and Xbox. So you should grab your pickaxe, hop on the battle bus and join the fun.