A new trend around the world is children and adults playing a video game called Fortnite. Fortnite is a video game available on most popular consoles (Xbox, PS4, and the Nintendo Switch) as well as computers and tablets where one hundred players in a match fight to be the last one standing. The avatars drop out of a bus with a hot-air balloon attached to it, dive down into virtual environment, and glide into whichever part of the large map that they want to. For example, the place where most people land is called Tilted Towers, a large city full of buildings. In addition to avoiding getting destroyed by the other online players, users have to move around the map to avoid a purple storm that can also damage their avatars’ health. 

Where users can get creative in Fortnite is customizing their characters. If one downloads the game, one is given a free set of skins (avatar appearances), a single pickaxe, a single glider, a default dance, and a loading screen. Throughout the game, you can earn rewards like pickaxes through the free version of the Battle Pass, which is a series of in-game accessory items you can earn by completing challenges or by purchasing with v-bucks.  V-Bucks is the virtual currency bought with real money. You can also buy the full version of the Battle Pass and get 100 tiers of items in the game. You can buy skins, gliders, pickaxes, and emotes (specific dances) from the item shop. The items in the shop are pretty pricey, but are also very cool-looking and aesthetically-pleasing to students.  

“My opinion is that it is epic [that students spend money on the game]. It’s cool, and it is fun,” said eighth-grade student Jack Lytal. His twin brother, Luke, said, “The Rust Lord is my favorite skin because it’s fun to use, and I get to dance on people with the most disrespectful emote, [Take The L].”  An emote is a dance that your character performs in the game. The ‘Take The L’ is an emote in the game that people usually use after eliminating another player. It makes other players mad after losing.

“My favorite skin is the Nog Ops,” said Jack Lytal. “Personally, [I believe] the most disrespectful emote is the ‘Take the L,'” he said, agreeing with his brother.

Fortnite has made over one billion dollars in less than one year on accessories in the item shop alone. It has been a new craze with many kids across the world. It looks like there is no stopping Fortnite’s crazy growth and popularity, and it seems like it will be here for quite a long time.