Fortnite, currently the third largest video game in the world, has struck it big by bringing back its most nostalgic, OG, maps. Chapter one was what some players called the prime of Fortnite, and now Epic Games, the game’s developers, are reuniting the classic maps and the veteran players whilst introducing a newer audience of players to the wonder of a once-gone setting.
Starting on Nov. 3, Fortnite began bringing back the original maps, beginning with Chapter 1 Season 5 and progressing a season every week which ended on Dec. 2 with Season X (season 10). Since Fortnite was released in 2017, the map has been changing on a constant basis over the course of 25 seasons.
The map is back along with my gamer cheer. Christmas came early this year. The new season brought back items I had not used in years such as the Port-a-Fort. The Port-a-Fort is a throwable that creates a large metal fort which I used many times in the “Zero-Build” game mode many times. Seeing it brought back put a smile on my face. Another returned item is my personal favorite assault rifle, ‘THE SCAR’. The fully automatic, hard-hitting, medium-ranged weapon is easily my go-to favorite in the game and was back before they took it out many updates ago. The scar, gold and purple rarity type is the best all-round weapon in the game, having strengths and long-ranged and short-ranged combat. Every game I played was spent hoping to find one of these beauties.
The original rocket launcher made its way back into the game but that’s not the best part. Rocket riding, the art of hopping on top of a rocket in motion is truly a moment to put butterflies in my stomach. It’s such a time of joy to see my character flying through the air, soaring over the map. Rocket riding made me feel like I was one of the classic Fortnite streamers, or in a highlight edit on social media.
Soaring above the map brings back memories. I saw parts of the map that I thought I’d only see in my memories or old clips. One downside, however, is that certain parts of the map were always crowded. Tilted Towers, perhaps the fan-favorite location, was constantly packed. Landing there with another 30 people also made it the most blood-pumping experience as that early in the game we were all scrambling.
The Fortnite OG update was a great way to give players a more sentimental playing experience but wasn’t exactly what it used to be, yet still my favorite update.
