THE multiplayer shoot-em-up Fortnite has taken the world by storm and become the obsession of millions.
It’s free to play, but if you want to keep your Battle Royale character looking fresh you’ve got to complete challenges or shell out in the item store – and it can be hard to keep on top of what’s on sale every day.
Get ready to fly… get ready to sore.. Flying Carp is back and available for purchase at the item shop today for V800.
Gatekeeper is ready to keep out your enemies and put you on the threshold of victory if you spend V500.
Demons, creeps, and monsters beware as King Flamingo is on the market, meaning you can snag the uncommon Fortnite outfit for V800 and take off flying.
Waterworks is also available for purchase, where you can “show ’em your battle cry” for V200 today.
While Maven is ready to upgrade you battle and help ensure “victory is the common denominator”.
Flying Carp, Waterworks and Maven are tied in first place for the best ranking, all having four out of five stars.
Jamboree and Lawnbreaker both have three out of five stars while King Flamingo only has two.
The item shop is an online store where players can purchase cosmetic objects to use in-game.
It includes outfits, gliders, harvesting tools and other accessories priced according to the rarity: Uncommon, rare, epic or legendary.
Gamers use V-Bucks, which can be purchased for real life money, to pay for the items which have their own expiry dates on the store.
Fortnite is a video game played by up to 250 million people across the world.
In it, 100 players compete on their own or with a small group of pals to grab weapons, gather resources and build defences, before fighting it out to be the last man (or team) standing.
Matches take about 20 minutes, and you can drop into a new game within seconds of your previous one finishing.
It’s bright, it’s cartoony and it’s fiendishly compelling.
Skill is rewarded but luck also plays a huge role, meaning no two games are ever the same and everyone feels like they have a chance of winning.
Fortnite has also made its developer billions.
In Europe it’s rated 12+, meaning it’s suitable for those aged 12 and up.
The battle royale mode is free to play, but there is also a story-driven single player and co-op mode called Save The World that players have to pay for.
While there is no exact figure on how many children play Fortnite, the game has so far pulled in an audience of over 200 million.
Many parents are concerned about the harmful effects that the long-playing duration and violent content is having on their children.
Once you’re playing, the urge for just one more round and one more shot at victory can easily become overwhelming.
It’s big money too — the best players will be fighting for a share of £30m over the next few months alone.
Not even Premier League stars are immune, with pros seeking treatment for ‘addiction’.
There is now an online tool to help determine if your game-playing is normal or is edging towards the official definition of gaming disorder.
Children as young as 11 are reportedly being taken into care as a result of the disorder, while other parents have reported the troubling effects of compulsive gaming on their own children.
Adults have reported problems too, with one revealing he wrecked his life after blowing £15,000 of wedding savings on video games.
