Fortnite: Save the World Goes Free-to-Play With Extra Rewards

Long before it was the battle royale you know and love, Fortnite was actually a tower defence game.

Yes kids, that’s where the ‘fort’ in Fortnite comes from.

Fortnite: Save The World launched in 2017, also incorporating looter shooter, survival, and sandbox elements.

It was a paid early access title before free-to-play plans were unveiled in 2018.

In 2020, however, Save The World became a paid title as Epic Games moved its focus to the free-to-play battle royale you’re likely more familiar with.

Well, that decision has now been reversed as Save The World is going free-to-play next month.

On 16 April, players will be able to dive into this classic Fortnite experience at no extra cost - and you can actually nab yourself several free rewards in the lead up.

If you register now, you’ll help contribute to a community goal. If the community goal is reached, you’ll unlock said rewards.

There are three milestones. The first reward unlocks at 300,000 registrations, the second at 700,000, and the third at 1,000,000.

The rewards are blurred out, but there is reference to a Snowstrike Hero skin as the third and final reward.

Epic Games

If you’ve not played Save The World before, you’ll get the skin after completing the in-game tutorial.

As for what you can expect, players will “hold back hordes of monsters and explore a vast, destructible world”.

“Also build huge forts, craft weapons, find loot, and level up,” the description reads.

“Drop in with friends or matchmake with other Commanders. Coordinate builds and chain abilities to clear harder zones, then cash in for loot and upgrades.”

The free-to-play Save The World will be available on a wide array of platforms, including PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, Amazon Luna, and NVIDIA GeForce NOW.

Save The World’s Comeback Is Overshadowed By V-Bucks Controversy

I’ll be interested to see how popular this mode turns out to be, as it’s not one current Fortnite players perhaps care all that much about.

I had a quick look at the reception to its announcement and everyone seems more concerned with controversial changes made to V-Bucks this week.

In case you missed it, players will now get 800 V-Bucks for the same price that you used to get 1,000 for.

“Cool, but we won't forget. REVERT V-BUCKS CHANGES,” said one Twitter/X user.

“You’ve only brought the storm upon yourself,” added another.

Oof. It appears that Epic Games is in for a rocky few weeks as gamers fail to let them forget this major misstep.