Fortnite’s item shop change begs the question: how many more years does the game have?

Fortnite has a grip on gamers, and Epic Games has laid plenty of groundwork to get to that point. With the new changes to item availability on the game’s battle pass, it makes it clear that longevity is a part of the plan there. All of this does beg the question: how many more years does this game have?

How do live-services stay alive?

From now on in Fortnite, items that show up in the battle pass might be added to the in-game shop at least 18 months after its respective battle pass expires. This takes care of two things at once by sating fans who are annoyed about potentially missing out, while incentivizing early purchases. 18 months is a long time to wait, and each new battle pass means stacking on another one and a half years to the assumption that the game will survive. Considering the rampant layoffs affecting the gaming world, even hitting the Epic Games team, this might seem insane. There is no clear answer to how long Fortnite intends to stay alive for, but we can intuit a general idea based on all the components that make up the experience.

There are few games that have genuinely stood the test of time in such a way. As the years go by, however, it seems more like that’s the space this game wants to be in. As of 2024, World of Warcraft is still immensely popular, hitting active user numbers of seven million as it nears its 20th year online. Games like Maplestory and Final Fantasy 14 have shown similar ambitions for longevity, and what all of these games have in common is that they’re MMOs.

Being an MMO may not be the only way to keep players coming back, but for the live-service model, these trends show that it might be the best. How does that factor into Fortnite? (yes, we’re still talking about Fortnite). Part of it has to do with its consistently high player count and emphasis on interaction. Fortnite isn’t exactly an MMO, but it’s getting there. 

Constant reinvention

The game’s been making lots of changes. Fortnite is no stranger to reinvention. The type of game that was shown off in 2017 is largely different from what its userbase enjoys now. Fortnite: Save the World highlighted PvE co-op action. The game’s building mechanics stemmed from those survival elements. Now, building is used almost entirely in a strategic and competitive context as Fortnite has transformed. The focus that most players have is on the battle royale elements, which it’s best known for. Epic Games has thrown in a particularly addictive gaming loop with the feeling of risk and reward that keeps players coming back for more, which is great, but even games known for longevity and fun loops have ended. Overwatch and Counter Strike are shining examples here. 

Part of what sets Fortnite apart is the way that its battle pass functions. Along with the recent changes, its basic format that offers free players ways to accessorize and tweak their experience provides a level of investment. If you played last season, you may have come across some neat summer back bling or weapon wraps. Wanting to see those in action and searching for new stuff adds to all of this. It can all get stale though, so what comes after that?

How to keep the hype going

What is there to do? Can things be changed without fundamentally uprooting the experience and alienating its dedicated fans? Ideally, the live service game provides constant ways to keep things fresh. This has been Fortnite’s domain, and luckily, it won’t have to worry about getting old for some time. Fortnite Rocket Racing, LEGO Fortnite (which largely borrows from its Save the World fundamentals), and Fortnite Festival are all new ways to enjoy what Epic Games has to offer. Disney has shown interest, building an experience within the game that players have yet to see. It feels like all of this is happening because Fortnite is no longer just a game, it’s a platform. 

Fortnite is consistently offering new ways to play while refining what its players love. Keeping it fresh seems to be what’s best here. Games like Apex Legends appear stifled, especially considering the fact that there aren’t many ways to play it. The fundamentals are all the same, and that’s not to imply that one game is better than the other, but Fortnite does offer variety in a way that its contemporaries don’t have figured out fully. 

So how many years does Fortnite really have?

You can’t get tired of the game as fast if there’s meaningfully different games to play inside of it. That’s why there’s always so much to do in Roblox and Minecraft, which have lasted 18 and 13 years respectively. Seven-year-old Fortnite intends to become a pillar in the same way as those giants if gamers don’t already consider it one. If you were sick of Fortnite, it may be time to accept that it’s not going anywhere, because from the looks of it, Epic Games is just getting started.