Lego Fortnite debuts as part of Epic Games’ expansion; Players can craft own weapons, shelters

08.12.2023 - 07:21 / tech.hindustantimes.com / Lego Fortnite

Epic Games Inc. on Thursday released Lego Fortnite, the first in a series of new titles from the closely held video-game giant as part of an effort to expand beyond its cartoonish shooting game franchise.

The new game lets players craft their own tools, weapons and shelters as they try to survive in a sometimes hostile environment. It's part of a larger strategy by Epic to create more virtual worlds where gamers can socialize and play, while incorporating outfits and other elements purchased in the original Fortnite game. “This is just the first step, but it's a huge step in terms of changing the way people interact with gaming ecosystems like ours,” Epic President Adam Sussman said in an interview.

Epic is also releasing Rocket Racing, a car racing game, on Friday, and Fortnite Festival, a music title where players can start a band or perform as a solo artist. It debuts on Dec. 9 in an online promotion with the singer the Weeknd.

Fortnite became a global phenomenon in 2017 after Epic debuted a “battle royale” mode where players from around the world could compete in matches until the last one was standing. The company has continued to keep the game fresh, introducing costumes and gear tied popular brands like Star Wars and Marvel Comics. It's still the most viewed game on Amazon.com Inc.'s Twitch streaming service. Last month, Fortnite attracted a record 44.7 million players in one day after the company released a nostalgic Fortnite OG version that include elements from the very first edition.

Lego Fortnite joins a survival-crafting genre of games that has drawn millions of players to titles such as Iron Gate Studio's Valheim and Studio Wildcard's Ark: Survival Evolved. The release follows last year's investment of  $1 billion in Epic by Kirkbi, the family holding company that controls the Lego Group.

Less than a year ago, Epic Executive Vice President Saxs Persson made a bold decision that has since become lore at the North Carolina-based company. Epic developers redrew, reanimated and reconfigured 1,200 of the skins, or outfits, players purchased in Fortnite in the blocky Lego style. That way, the digital items players purchased for between $7 and $16 since Fortnite's original launch could be carried over into Lego Fortnite.

“It was one of those swallow-hard-and-commit moments,” Persson said in an interview, adding that Epic plans to do this for every new Fortnite outfit going forward. “It's a big commitment. But 10 years from now, we will look back and say, ‘That was a decision that changed how players thought about their investment in the long term.'”

In-game purchases form an increasing portion of video game companies' revenue as free-to-play games like Fortnite are the industry's new norm. Some