Open-world Fortnite mode could be bad news for LEGO Fortnite

Epic Games and Fortnite are in a moment of self-discovery right now, and we couldn't be happier to see the game branch out. Fortnite made a name for itself as the leading battle royale title, toppling PUBG as the game that arguably popularised the genre.

We soared cultural heights that were previously unthought of for a simple live-service video game. Now, as Fortnite becomes much more than just a battle royale game, fans are ready for plenty of new changes. One new rumour indicates that the title is about to get bigger than we ever could have expected.

Fortnite might be about to get a new open-world mode

Even though LEGO Fortnite proved that the open world slips into the Fortnite launcher effortlessly, it looks like Epic Games isn't finished just yet, as a new rumour drawn from in-game code seems to indicate that there's a similar mode to come.

The new game mode is reported to have nothing to do with LEGO whatsoever and will have world bosses, NPCs, its own lobby, dynamic locations, vehicles and more. Remember, we previously heard about an open-world Fortnite back in 2021 but largely forgot about the leak. 

The project is apparently under the codename Arnold, and it seems to be pretty ambitious. But then again, with the ambitions we've seen from Fortnite so far this season, that comes as no surprise. Fortnite could be cannibalising its own fans from LEGO Fortnite, but whatever keeps them in the launcher probably works for Epic Games.

Fans react to open-world Fortnite rumours

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Fans have taken to Reddit to take a look at the claims, and many of them think the plan would work a treat. "Still got a sneaking suspicion that Epic is going to take another crack at the Monster Hunter genre a la Dauntless as a Fortnite sub-mode,” says one user.

"The Fortnite branding alone would likely give it more player activity than Dauntless ever saw." Another added, "They should absolutely do this because Fortnite doesn’t have a large creature asset library and this could be Epic’s chance to really push UE5 and gameplay with cool-looking enemy monsters and friendly creatures."

The prospect of more open-world Fortnite is an exciting one, and it implies that even though Epic has already breached our expectations, it could be about to be, once again, bigger than ever. We'll allow it, but as long as we can still play our blocky favourite.