Epic Games has announced that Fortnite is finally leaving Early Access as it plans major changes to Save The World and other parts of the gaming blockbuster.
After bursting onto the scene in 2017, despite amassing millions of players and evolving by adding several new seasons, Fortnite continues to possess an “Early Access” tag on all of its loading screens. Epic Games has confirmed that this will change soon.
Epic Games published on the official website and confirmed that Save The World, the PvE component of Fortnite, will remain a premium experience and not be switched to free-to-play as many expected. Instead, the development of this mode will be discontinued as the focus is more on Battle Royale and regular seasonal updates.
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“Fortnite has continued to evolve since development began, and so much has changed over the years as we’ve played and developed the game with you,” the post reads. “As we approach the third anniversary of the release of Fortnite and Save the World, we wanted to share an update on our development plans.”
“Today we are pulling Save the World out of Early Access and have decided that it will remain a premium experience rather than going free-to-play. New content development will slow down after this official release, but the Save the World adventure doesn’t end there.”
Save The World’s main narrative is complete, and given that it has a fraction of the popularity of battle royale, it’s understandable that Epic Games would want to shift its efforts to other areas in the future. That doesn’t mean fans of the mode are left completely out in the cold, however.
All Founder’s Packs will be updated, which will include additional rewards. Those who earn the coveted Ultimate Edition will earn 8000 V-Bucks and the Metal Team Leader Pack. Epic has said that Battle Royale cosmetics will stop working in Save The World after a certain point, so prepare for that eventuality.
Fortnite: Chapter 2 – Season 3 arrived in the last few weeks, bringing with it a new Battle Pass, a changed map, and more advancements in the world’s overarching narrative. The map is now awash, with more emphasis on water traversal and avoiding deadly new threats like sharks and gangs of enemy mercenaries.