CARY – Fortnite isn’t dead, according to websites that closely track the globally popular game.
Reports surfaced across the Internet on Monday that the “black hole” in which Fornite disappeared Sunday will disappear and the worldwide hit will remerge with many changes as part of a new “season” as early as Tuesday.
So far, however, Epic Games has remained quiet about its creation and the black hole stunt that has left thousands of devoted players viewing the Fortnite portal even though it remains blank. USA Today even declared: “Fortnite disappeared into a black hole, and fans are freaking out”)
People have gone as far to examine code derived from the Fortnite site and translate it somehow into words in trying to figure out what’s going on.
A video trailer touting a Fortnite Season 2 showed up at SkinTracker.com but was quickly removed, according to PC Gamer. Fortnite breaks the game and updates into “seasons.”
Gamers playing Fortnite in the gaming room. (WRAL TechWire photo)
“We managed to save the video before it disappeared, so give it a look up top if you’re getting sick of staring at that black hole,” wrote James Davenport. THe 31-second trailer can be viewed through this link.)
But FortniteIntel, which follows all aspects of the game very intensely, said it expects the game to be back online as early as Tuesday and no later than Thursday.
“Right now, thousands of people are still watching a black screen on YouTube, Twitch, and other streaming platforms while the rest of us try to work out what’s going on,” the website says.
“Initial reports had it that Fortnite was going to be down until Tuesday, October 15. A lot of players thought this was fake news, but it seems like the best-case scenario now.”
On Oct. 11, Fortnite Intel reported that the next version of Fortnite would merge “Save the World’ and “Battle Royale” in a Fortnite Chapter 2.
Reading the code
Attempting to unrale Epic,s strategy, one person tweeted:
“The http://fortnite.com code was updated so the the-end thing has its end_time as Thursday at 4am EST”
At PC Gamer, Davenport reviewed the trailer and said many changes are coming to the game.
His main points:
- “A new map! I think. I don’t recognize any of those landmarks, and since water’s in play, a fresh start feels necessary.
- “Boats!
- “Swimming’s in: We see a player dive into the water and another paddling around.
- “Co-op emotes. Players high-five at the end.
- “A new progression system that tracks granular activities.
- “Stealth—a player leaps out of a dumpster, my home.
- “Pogo sticks, because why not?
- “The ability to carry downed players. Nice! I’m all for new wrinkles in co-op play.”A free 1500 V-bucks, assuming you finish the Battle Pass.”
Is this the end for Fortnite? Game disappears into a black hole of its own making
