Fortnite: Zero Build Mode Is The Most Popular Update Since Primal
The recently released Fortnite Zero Build Mode is turning out to be the game’s most popular event since the Primal update was launched around a year ago. Fortnite developer and publisher Epic Games launched the popular battle royale’s latest update two weeks ago on March 21, 2022. The release of Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 removed building mechanics from the game and replaced them with an overshield feature similar to games like Halo. Building is a core mechanic of Fortnite so its removal from the game’s standard playlist was a significant change.
A week after the introduction of Fortnite’s buildless playlist at the start of Chapter 3 Season 2, Epic Games unveiled Zero Build Mode, a permanent version of the new playlist. The release of Zero Build Mode gives players the option to either return to the game’s classic playstyle or keep playing the new buildless Fortnite. Those who have gotten used to and still enjoy the game’s core building mechanic are likely to go back to the standard playlist while others who have been waiting for a significant change to go back to the game can join other players who are now learning how to win in Fortnite’s Zero Build Mode.
Video game analytics company Gamesight published an article showing just how popular Fortnite’s Zero Build Mode is. The company shares that the new mode has increased Fortnite’s average Twitch viewership by 98% and its total hours watched by 99%, compared to the same time period before the Zero Build Mode was officially released. The company also says that Fortnite’s buildless playlist has helped maintain the game’s viewership better than the last time it surged. When Season 3 Chapter 1 launched in December 2021, the game’s viewership surge dropped after just two days. According to Gamesight, Zero Build Mode is turning out to be the game’s biggest update since Season 2 Chapter 6, the Primal update, was released last March 2021. The graph can be viewed below:
While the hype surrounding Zero Build Mode will most likely die down in time, it isn’t surprising how popular it became. Fortnite’s building changes can be seen as good for the game and its community, in spite of how central it is to the game’s identity. This allows those who want to skip building to do so, and more options are always great for a live service game like Fortnite.
At the very least, Fortnite’s Zero Build Mode is here to stay. Only time will tell whether it will become as popular - or more popular - than the game’s standard mode. Hopefully, Epic Games is able to update both game modes in the future to keep them interesting.
Fortnite is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Source: Gamesight