<P> Fortnite is also able to offer themed - events with a unique progression line, new locations, and rewards based on those themes . The first such event was its Halloween event, "Fortnitemares", that offered Halloween - themed heroes, characters, weapons, and traps (usable outside of the event) by completing numerous objectives . </P> <P> Fortnite's "Battle Royale" mode follows similar gameplay mechanics as other battle royale games, particularly PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds . This mode supports up to 100 players, either individuals or up to four - man squads, attempting to be the last man or team standing as they hunt other players and avoid being killed themselves . Players all start with no equipment outside of a pickaxe for resource gathering and parachute onto the map . Once they land, they can scavenge for weapons, armor, and resources, the latter which can be used to make structures in the same manner as the "Save the World" mode . Over time, a "storm" surrounds the area and makes it so that the "safe" area of the map shrinks down in size . Once the "safe" area has shrunk to the smaller circle on the map (a thin, white circle), it will generate, at a random location, a smaller circle within . Those caught outside the area take damage and potentially die if they remain outside it too long . There are also random air drops of resources, weapons, and items that may require players to construct floors and ramps to access, with varying randomized items determined by rarity . Players can use real money to purchase in - game currency, which can be used to purchase cosmetic items . </P> <P> During The Game Awards 2017 on December 7, 2017, Epic announced and released a time - limited 50 - versus - 50 mode for Battle Royale, the first of several planned game modes . In this, players are randomly assigned to one of two teams, and play until only members of one team remain, with all other Battle Royale mechanics otherwise in place . The mode encourages players on a team to work together to scavenge resources in anticipation of the smaller safe areas, and then to build up forts when the safe area is small enough, protecting their own fortifications while trying to damage the other teams' and finish off the remaining players . </P> <P> Fortnite was first revealed at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards (VGA), with Epic's former design director Cliff Bleszinski introducing a trailer for the game . Donald Mustard, creative lead at Epic, said in 2017 that this announcement was "three weeks after we came up with the idea, before we even made the game". The title, which started out as an internal game jam project, represents a departure from the company's previous work . As Bleszinski explained during the Spike event, Epic wanted to "switch things up a little bit and do something different and fun" with Fortnite, describing it as "a world where you explore, you scavenge, you build and ultimately you survive ." In an interview with Engadget, he also echoed these statements, claiming that the game would be different from the Gears of War series: "There's no dudebros in it...Not that there's anything wrong with that, right? But creatively for the team, Gears has been amazing for us . But it's fun to kind of stretch our wings and do something that's a little different from the usual ." Epic Games Vice President of Publishing Mike Fischer said in 2015 that Epic recognized that they "announced this game too soon", and that its lengthy development was due to "very good reasons". </P>

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