Epic Games Court Documents Reveal Plans For Open-World Fortnite Modes
If you're ready for a whole new Fortnite, leaked court documents hint that Epic Games is planning an open-world version of this battle royale blockbuster. While there's the PvE Save the World, and the Minecraft-esque Creative Mode, they're largely overlooked in favour of the all-star Battle Royale mode in Fortnite. The game's bread and butter involves 100 of us jumping off the Battle Bus in a variety of colourful skins that includes everyone from Alien's Xenimirph to Horizon Zero Dawn's Aloy, however, all that could be about to change.
Since the very first map all the way back in Chapter 1 Season 1, Fortnite has kept us locked into a relatively small area as we fight for victory royale. Although there are elements of open-world play in Battle Royale, we're confined to a main objective as the storm closes in and the ranks are whittled down to the final few. As the court battle between Epic and Apple once again spills over, there have been some surprising reveals in the court documents.
What's the open-world Fortnite rumour?
Alongside potential skins for Dwayne Johnson, Lady Gaga, and Ariana Grande, noted leaker HYPEX claims an open-world version of Fortnite was at least in development at some point. The documents have leaked a map that's nicknamed "Sandbox." It correlates with HYPEX's previous report about a new map being hidden in last week's recent update. Still, the idea of an Open-World Sandbox Mode is an exciting one that has players guessing. Suddenly, those critics that Fortnite is a dead game might be silenced.
The map looks to be modelled on Chapter 2 Season 6's Primal, which suggests it could be closer than first thought. HYPEX notes that the trees seem to be bigger than what we're used to, which further adds fuel to the campfire that we could get a much larger world to explore. There's also some sort of cabin, which could be used for avatars to rest in during their open-world escapades. On the whole, there are continued reports we'll be getting an open-world mode similar to Minecraft where gamers can manipulate the environment.
When could we see an open-world Fortnite?
All of the above is just wild speculation for now, and until Epic gives the official nod, we're no closer to finding out whether we're getting an open-world Fortnite and when. Logically, overhauling the map and following in the footsteps of Chapter 1 Season X's The End makes a lot of sense. That being said, we're only in Season 6 of the current run, and if the game keeps a 10-season plan, we're still a long way off the introduction of the other map. On the side of an imminent release, the Primal-inspired backdrop and mention of Primal Bows hint that it's just around the corner.
The other popular school of thought is that the open-world addition is to help the ailing Save the World. It's no secret that the mode has struggled to keep up with the popularity of Battle Royale, and only recently, Epic included permanent access to Save the World in this month's Fortnite Crew membership. Can an open-world revamp really "save" Save the World? It's sure to spark a debate. Ironically, the idea of "beyond battle royale" was the mantra used by Respawn Entertainment for the current season of Apex Legends. An open-world Fortnite could follow in the footsteps of Apex's Arenas mode, with the two rivals getting closer than ever.
Images via Epic Games
