Epic’s upcoming free to play coop shooter Fortnite has resurfaced with a new trailer and an invite to the alpha.
We won’t blame you for forgetting that this game even existed. Fortnite was announced as far back as three years ago, but is only now going through alpha. It would not be a surprise if a lot of this could be attributed to Epic dealing with radical changes within the studio leadership.
Ok, so what is Fortnite about? It’s kind of a mix between Team Fortress 2, Minecraft, and tower defense. You build up a fort, that will be then be used to fight off waves of enemies that strike at ‘nite.’ Of course, you and your friends can load up and take down these waves as well. The game will have several elements on top of this basic structure, including weapon crafting, a level system, boss fights, survival mode, etc.
In an interview, Epic spoke candidly about their hopes and intentions with making the game free to play. Basically, they are looking at League of Legends as an inspiration, and hoping to strike a balance between a game fans can enjoy, whether they play it completely for free, and also if you pay for microtransactions. Deviating from Team Fortress 2, they plan to sell items, that are available if you earn them in gameplay, but can save you time if you buy them immediately.
I have a feeling this is the last thing you expected as Epic Games’ next project, but you gotta admit, this looks interesting. You can learn more about Fortnite and apply as an alpha tester here, and check out the gameplay trailer below.