After three long years, Fortnite is finally leaving early access

Epic Games has announced that Fortnite will finally be leaving early access as it plans major changes to Save The World and other portions of the gaming blockbuster.

Having splashed onto the scene back in 2017, even as it amassed millions of players and evolved with the addition of several new seasons, Fortnite has continued to possess an “early access” tag across all of its loading screens. Epic Games has confirmed that this will soon change. 

Posting on the official website, Epic Games confirmed that Save The World, Fortnite’s PvE component, will remain a premium experience and won’t be transitioning to free-to-play like many had expected. Instead, development on this mode will be winding down as more focus is placed on battle royale and regular seasonal updates. 

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“Fortnite has always been in a constant state of evolution since we first began development, and so much has changed over the years as we’ve played and developed the game with you,” the post reads. “As we near the three-year anniversary of Fortnite and Save the World’s release we wanted to share an update on our development plans.” 

“Today we’re bringing Save the World out of Early Access and have decided that it will remain a premium experience rather than going free-to-play. Development of new content will slow down after this official release, but the adventure doesn’t end here for Save the World.” 

The main narrative for Save The World is complete, and given it possesses a fraction of the popularity boasted by battle royale, it’s understandable that Epic Games wants to shift its efforts elsewhere going forward. However, that doesn’t mean fans of the mode will be completely left out in the cold. 

All Founders Packs will be upgraded which will include additional rewards. Those who earn the coveted Ultimate Edition will earn themselves 8000 V-Bucks and the Metal Team Leader Pack. Epic has said that battle royale cosmetics will cease to function in Save The World after a certain point, so prepare for that eventuality. 

Fortnite: Chapter 2 – Season 3 arrived in recent weeks and brought with it a new battle pass, altered map and further progression to the world’s overarching narrative. The map is now flooded, with a greater emphasis on water traversal and avoiding deadly new threats such as sharks and gangs of hostile mercenaries.