Nostalgia is a powerful incentive for just about anything. It's why old movies keep getting remade, old shows come back, and - most recently - why Fortnite has gone back to its roots.
Launched on November 3rd, 2023, Fortnite Chapter 4: Season 5 was unveiled as "Season OG". For the first time in its six years of unmitigated success, Epic Games' Unreal Engine-powered battle royale's past is being plundered for nostalgia. For the next roughly four weeks, Fortnite will receive updates that take players through every major season from the game's inception, which will supposedly lead into something massive and transformative for the iconic battle royale franchise.
But, what exactly is in Fortnite OG that has fans old and new going crazy? I mean, 44.7 million players totaling 102 million hours of gameplay in just one day? With 6.2 million simultaneous players on Sunday alone, a new record for the game? Epic Games has definitely struck a chord here, and the Gameflip blog is here to try to figure out what that is.
And, if you're a lapsed Fortnite player itching for that shot of nostalgia, there is probably a ton of content that you missed out on. We can help you get up to speed and snag those cosmetics you missed, just stick around till the end for some advice on how to enhance your Fortnite OG experience.
What is Fortnite OG?
Let's go back to the beginning. (Image Source: Fortnite.com)
Fortnite OG is the fifth season of Chapter 4, and it is the next part of a detailed story that began in Chapter 4: Season 3 - "Wilds".
After a series of events that involved Optimus Prime, multiple warring factions, vampires, a vampire hunter, a time machine, heists for iconic items throughout Fortnite's history, and internet personality Khaby Lame, players have now been sent back through time to experience the battle royale's past for an extraction mission. Interestingly, there are notable differences in this version of the past, including some missing characters as well as other roles being replaced by recognizable ones.
Lil Whip has been replaced by Peely, and that just might be the biggest loss of all.
So, what does that mean in terms of gameplay? When players sign into the Epic Games app and launch into Fortnite, they will be greeted by a familiar sight for those who have stuck with the game since the beginning: the original Fortnite map.
That's right, Titled Towers, Junk Junction, Tomato Temple, Factory Flush, and Fatal Fields among other recognizable locations are back. The Fortnite OG map isn't completely the same as it was back then due to the history-changing narrative at play, but it's similar enough to get that nostalgia pumping.
What is Different About the Map in Fortnite OG?
Tilted Towers is back, baby! (Image Source: Fortnite.com)
Keen-eyed players or those with decent memory will notice that there are a few suspicious differences in the Fortnite OG version of the map versus the actual OG map.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of the current differences and additions in Fortnite OG:
Season X's Moisty Palms sign is outside of Paradise Palms
The crack in the sky and Kevin are completely absent
Season 8's No Sweat Insurance Building is where the Castle Tower building should be
Fatal Field's house is now a barn
Loot Lake has small new islands
The Explorers' tome that describes the Chalice of Cubetastrophe can be found in Wailing Woods
Doctor Slone left recordings that outline the time travel plan in Pleasant Park's soccer field
The island now has Ziplines
Reboot Vans can be found around the island
The changes to the map and its locations are expected to get more drastic as weeks go by and updates are implemented, but the initial showing of Fortnite OG is a smartly-designed play to rope in old players while keeping current players invested with its intricate, over-the-top story.
What's in the Fortnite OG Battle Pass?
Grab some awesome fusions in the OG battle pass. (Image Source: Fortnite.com)
Like every season of Fortnite, Fortnite OG launched with a battle pass that includes a bevy of unlockable cosmetic items to kit out your character with. In keeping with the "Fortnite history" theme, the battle pass is being advertised with four impressive skins, most of which are of well-known Fortnite characters.
Those are:
Spectra Knight (a new character)
Lil' Split (an unholy fusion of Peely and Lil' Whip)
Renegade Lynx (a fusion of Renegade Raider and Lynx)
Omegarok (a fusion of Omega and Ragnarok)
Like Marvel's Spider-Man 2, each character skin will also come with several alt styles to suit your tastes. Each skin will also have a number of accessories that can be unlocked for further customization.
If you've played Fortnite at any point over the past six years, you know what the deal is with the battle pass. You hand over some V-Bucks, and you get the pass. The OG pass costs 950 V-Bucks, which works out to about $9.50 in real-world money.
Show off your seniority and skill with a fat stack of V-Bucks and retired cosmetics from the Gameflip marketplace!
So, Why is Everyone Going Crazy Over Fortnite OG?
Games aren't the same as they used to be. (Image Source: Alex Haney on Unsplash.com)
If you're in your late 20s or early 30s, the games of your childhood are probably still accessible. Someone has an NES or a PlayStation One, and you can probably buy a dusty, beat up cartridge or disk off of eBay. For more recent generations, that's absolutely not the case.
Think about the kids who grew up playing Fortnite. Maybe you're one of those yourself. If you were between the ages of 10 and 13 when Fortnite first hit the scene, you've experienced a lot of life over the past six years - dramatic, world-altering events notwithstanding. So, when your favorite game from your childhood goes back to its beginning and gives you a chance to relive those simpler days, it can be incredibly powerful.
That's the nostalgia at work.
It's the same reason people go see remakes of 80s movies they know will be bad, or what makes people plug in a Sega Genesis to play the first few levels of Sonic 2. When things get difficult - when life gets difficult - taking time to responsibly regress and participate in something you enjoyed at a younger age can do a lot for you.
And, with the monstrous success of Fortnite OG's first week of service, players are already calling out for other ongoing live service games (those dubbed "forever games") to do the same. Warzone, Apex, and more are likely up next for nostalgia-fueled engagement boosts, and the odds are good that it will serve those games just as well as it did for Fortnite.
How Can Gameflip Enhance My Fortnite OG Experience?
We have something of a reputation already. (Image Source: Gameflip.com)
If you aren't familiar with Gameflip yet, here's what we are.
Gameflip is a safe, secure community of more than 6 million users who meet to buy and sell digital items and gift cards at prices that can't be matched by other stores and marketplaces. Do you need to shave some money off of the cost of a new GPU for all of Fortnite's graphical bells and whistles? Check out our deeply discounted Best Buy gift cards.
So whether you play Fortnite Battle Royale or Fortnite Creative, whether you're one of those professional players or a casual, and whether you enjoy the game on PC or Nintendo Switch, Gameflip is here to get you the V-Bucks and in-game items you want or need, on the cheap.
Get the most out of this new season and take other players to the cleaners with Gameflip, the video game marketplace that gets you what you want without breaking the bank.
