We all know of Fortnite - a video game that only seemed to grow larger as its contemporaries (PUBG, H1Z1, etc.) have shrunken quite considerably. While we’re far from the heyday of battle royale games, we’d like to offer a theory as to why Fortnite has been able to stay relevant this whole time while other games seemingly just…stayed in the shadows. Without further ado, we’ll present a history of what Epic Games calls its “Metaverse”, and how it’s evolved ever since its inception. Stick around and we’ll also answer exactly what goes on in the Metaverse and how it’s allowed Fortnite to keep ahead of the competition by tenfolds.

Topic Overview and History

 

It’s likely you’ve experienced the Metaverse, even if you don’t actually know what it is. According to Epic Games, the Metaverse is “an online social entertainment experience in real time, where people play and connect in a 3D world”. It’s really as simple as that.

This definition is pretty vague, but it also allows us to see what exactly it is that Epic considers the Metaverse (which is a lot). Some examples would include:

• User-created experiences through the Fortnite workshop

• Player-made lobbies/parties through the Epic Games social launcher

• Shared events such as the Travis Scott or Marshmello in-game concerts

• Customizing your avatar through the Item Shop

• Limited-time gamemodes such as Star Wars events

Though with such a broad concept in mind, how did the Metaverse get its beginnings? Many point to the beginnings of Fortnite’s storyline as an early example of Epic’s realization of something bigger. Shared events that tied into the lore of Fortnite paved way for greater entries into the Metaverse, such as 2023’s “Big Bang” event that unveiled quite a few changes in how players would experience Fortnite. 

Gone were the days of the tried-and-tested battle royale experience - the Minecraft-esque Lego Fortnite gamemode, Fortnite Festival (a Guitar Hero clone), and partnerships with record labels led to it being pretty hard to call Fortnite just a third-person shooter. It was more than that - the Metaverse had finally come to fruition.

With collaborations between brands like Disney, Balenciaga, and strangely enough the National Football League (yes, that is a real thing), Fortnite cemented itself as a mainstay in gaming. 

The Metaverse Now

People have come to expect lots of things from Fortnite’s Metaverse, such as new character additions, brand collaborations, and gamemodes. However, it’s been quite the case that Epic likes to keep players on their toes when it comes to speculating about new updates to the game. A Sabrina Carpenter skin in the Item Shop could be just as likely as a Darth Jar Jar skin. Both of those are in the game right now and were added within a week of each other but that’s not the point.

 

Fortnite is empowering its creators by giving them tools outside of the standard Fortnite Workshop arsenal, such as the ability to import maps from Unreal Engine, an Epic Games creation used by many triple-A studios to create their games. More and more brands are investing billions into Fortnite in order to stake their chunk of the wildly popular Metaverse. User-created content makes up a huge portion of the amount of playtime that people spend on Fortnite. It’s easy to see how successful the Metaverse has been, but difficult to see where it’ll be going next.

 

Conclusion

 

Fortnite’s evolution into a full-fledged Metaverse has redefined what a video game can be. What started as a battle royale has transformed into a constantly shifting digital playground — one where players, creators, and brands coexist in a shared space of creativity and entertainment. Epic Games has pushed the envelope by merging pop culture, music, fashion, and gaming into one platform, turning Fortnite into something closer to a digital lifestyle hub than just another online shooter. 

 

With user-generated content continuing to thrive and partnerships expanding in scope and ambition, Fortnite’s Metaverse is an industry blueprint for the future of interactive entertainment. Where it goes next is anyone’s guess, but if history’s any indicator, it’ll be somewhere no one expected. We're just happy we get to be Peter Griffin playing the drums to a Nine Inch Nails song and somehow everyone just accepts the fact that that's happening.