Fortnite down? Servers offline for Tuesday update to prepare for Fortnitemares Hallowe’en event
It is Tuesday morning, which means that Fortnite has gone down for users across the world as the week’s major changes are made.
As ever, we won’t know exactly what those changes are until servers come back up, but this week we have a pretty good idea what you can expect.
Save The World players get some bonus spooky heroes too
A couple of days of terrible poetry have teased Fortnitemares, which is sure to be the in-game Hallowe’en celebration, and some changes to implement the full force of the forced ‘spookiness’ must be on their way.
Yesterday’s Save the World update revealed a couple of spooky additions to the paid-for co-op side of the game, and revealed that its much-awaited free-to-play launch wasn’t going to happen until next year at the earliest.
There will also be a 50% off sale for Save The World access via Epic’s Founders’ Packs, so keep your eyes peeled for those and more Samhain-themed goodies in STW.
We’ll update you with more on today’s changes as we get it.
A purple-gloved hand clutching a high-caliber revolver is part of the Hallowe’en teaseEpic Games
Tombstones quake, Keep your finger steady. The circle will close, Better be ready. #Fortnitemares pic.twitter.com/ocd2VR1d19
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) October 21, 2018
What is Fortnite and does the video game have an age rating certificate?
Fortnite is an online video game rated for those aged 12 and over, and most well known for its Battle Royale mode in which 100 online players are put in a battlefield to fight until just one player remains.
It is a shooter with building elements, so while the goal is to kill and not get killed, you can build structures to defend yourself from materials found in the world.
How many children play Fortnite and why are their parents worried?
While there is no exact figure on how many children play the game, data collected up to late January showed 45million people playing Fortnite across PC, Xbox One and PS4.
Many parents are concerned about the harmful effects that the long playing duration and violent content is having on their children.
A thread on forum site Reddit summed up concerns with one parent saying the game “promotes strategic thinking” but their child has started to “slam doors when he used to be pretty laid back”.
In a This Morning poll asking if parents were worried about the effect the game had on their children, 59 per cent voted no as opposed to 41 per cent who said yes.
What is Fortnite?
Fortnite: Battle Royale is a version of Fortnite, a video game released by Epic Games in July 2017
The online game is set in a post-apocalyptic world, based around a battle for survival
Fortnite offers two distinct modes: player versus environment ‘Save the World’ and the more recent player versus player game Battle Royale
The game starts with 100 players leaping out of a plane on to a small island, fighting each other until no one is left
Fortnite has proved a massive hit with more than 3million kids
The game is free and kids can team up with a friend, a group of friends or compete as a duo or squad
Matches can last up to 20 minutes
Though it’s a multiplayer shooter, no graphic violence is depicted
How has Fortnite turned some players into celebrities?
Fortnite is one of the most popular games streamed live on social media platform Twitch.
Millions log on to watch superstar players like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins play.
Some players make money from prizes in competition, but most money is made via advertising and sponsorship deals for popular streams.
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