Five long years of patiently waiting. The year of 2018 to many gamers was a very memorable time in their lives. A game like no other, reaching over 30 million players in the summer of 2018 and becoming the most played video game of all time, Chapter 1 OG Fortnite had a very positive impact on many of our lives. 

For years Fortnite has been an incredibly popular game taking the world by storm, and was originally released on July 25th 2017. It is a free-to-play online video game available for Xbox, Playstation, Windows, and Ios. Fortnite for years was considered a cultural phenomenon drawing more than 125 million players in less than a year. Fortnite Battle Royal is where up to 100 players fight in an open world to be the last person standing. 

I first got my xbox in 2017 and Fortnite was the first game I ever had. I can still vividly remember my first game playing with my neighbors. I was instantly hooked, and I played almost every night with friends. In my lifetime I have played many different games, but nothing had such an effect on my life like Fortnite did, and from 2017-2019  everyone I knew was on xbox playing the game. 

It is strange to think that a video game could have such a positive effect on your life and many people that didn’t experience this time period might not understand what all the hype is about. 

One of my most fond memories of this game started December 14th 2017. This was the start of season 2, and was Christmas themed. I remember a message would come through on my phone: “Snow day, school is canceled, hop on fort.” To me, and to many others, these words are poetry. Even though it all happened online, the memories were real. All we were focused on was getting a victory royale. 

Fortnite itself influenced pop culture, dancing, music, and even fashion. From introducing popular dances like the floss and griddy, collabs with Nike and Air Jordan, to  bringing famous music artists into the game like American producer and DJ Marshmello, rapper Travis Scott, and Spanish rapper Bad Bunny, the game has had an incredible influence.

Jumping off the battle bus and seeing the original map that we all grew up playing with is amazing but not the same. Many gamers think they are sad that the game isn’t fun anymore, but in reality, you are remembering yourself, playing with your friends, and the overall nostalgia of that era is worth it. Even though Fortnite brought back the old 2017-18 season and map, it will just never be the same. It is only a video game, but it was a game that created friendships, memories, and happiness.