A new game type is coming to Fortnite Creative Mode, and it’s making its first appearance at PAX South 2020. Creative Mode debuted in Fornite in late 2018 and gives players a place to build freely and even create new games modes without the distraction of a winner-takes-all deathmatch going on around them.
Fortnite is best known for its massively popular battle royale mode, but its importance as an online gathering place shouldn’t be underestimated. The biggest example of Fortnite serving as a social space to date came in December, when a digital JJ Abrams appeared in-game to debut a trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Given the game’s popularity, it’s no surprise that other brands are attracted to it as a way to get in front of a large audience, leading to Fortnite crossovers with The Avengers, Batman, and more. The more community-oriented side of Fortnite may become even more important in the game’s near future, as Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney recently tweeted about the possibility of Fortnite becoming more of a platform than just a game.
Fortnite’s latest collaboration might be with the most unlikely partner it’s had yet - the International Red Cross. According to a press release, Fortnite will debut a new mode called Lifeline, which puts players into four missions where they take on the role of an International Red Cross aid worker trying to save lives, rather than spectacularly end them like in typical Fortnite matches. PAX South attendees will have the chance to play Liferun, and streamers DrLupo, ONE_shot_GURL, and Lachlan will be broadcasting the new mode live from the convention.
Epic Games is starting 2020 off with a bang for Fortnite, following up on an extremely busy year for the game. Fortnite had plenty of ups and downs in 2019, from the reviled B.R.U.T.E. mech to the stunning launch of Fortnite Chapter 2. Hardly a month seemed to go by with some major to keep Fortnite in the spotlight. Despite losing some revenue compared to 2018, Fortnite remained the top-earning game of 2019.
Fortnite’s new Liferun mode sounds like quite a departure from the game’s traditional mode, but it’s also a welcome change. While its battle royale mode certainly isn’t going away any time soon, Epic is making a smart move by opening the game up to different types of play, especially those that might grab the attention of players who aren’t interested in its kill-or-be-killed battle royale gameplay.
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Fortnite is available now on Mac, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices.