The nostalgia train has begun stopping at Fortnite’s station this time – and it’s sticking around. Fortnite OG mode returns for the last, with Epic Games announcing that the much-loved mode will return permanently on December 6, allowing fans to dive back into the game as it was in its early 2017 form. If you were a Fortnite player who missed out on some of the early days of Fortnite, this is your opportunity to play the game as it was when it first became one of the biggest games ever.
If you’ve always wondered, Now’s when you can find out what Fortnite was like before it became a global obsession. The Fortnite OG mode returns with the original map, with respawn locations and loot as familiar to players from September 2017. The mode provides a full throwback experience as both new and old players can revisit the same landscape, weaponry, and gaming mechanics that made Fortnite a major hit in its early days.
Fortnite OG returns permanently: Experience the game’s classic 2017 glory
The hype wave was immense after joining Fortnite OG for a short time in November 2023. For just one month of nostalgia-fueled play, the mode smashed records with 44.7 million players logging into the title, the biggest day in Fortnite’s history. The huge success of this limited-time mode prompted Epic Games to make a big decision: They’re also bringing Fortnite OG permanently back from December 6, 2024.
If you didn’t see the last relaunch, this isn’t just a nostalgia trip; it’s a re-creation of where the game began: before that, developers added complex mechanics and new maps. Players can get a pure taste of the now iconic Tilted Towers or their loot drops from the early days of Fortnite, which have become a cultural phenomenon.
It’s not just Epic Games’ one-off throwback — nostalgia is everywhere in gaming these days. After being such a hit with Fortnite OG, other popular games took the cue. For example, Overwatch launched an Overwatch Classic mode that lets you play as the initial 21 heroes Blizzard launched in its debut. While it will only be a temporary three-week event, Overwatch Classic shows a clear need for retro games in the game community.
THIS. IS. NOT. A. DRILL.
OG is coming BACK and is here to stay. Relive Battle Royale from the start and explore the OG map, collect OG loot, and relive OG seasons. Drop back in on December 6. pic.twitter.com/Zpg1CrItS5
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) November 12, 2024
Throwback modes like these also infect Call of Duty Warzone and Apex Legends, which are testing their versions. These retro-style experiences are very popular among gamers who wish to relive the past, relive the original game mechanics, and simply return to earlier game versions.
Epic Games has tapped into this trend and struck gold. Unsurprisingly, that is a huge shift from how Fortnite has traditionally been run. The nostalgia effect, it appears, is far from a thing of the past, and now it’s a new way game developers can once again connect with their audiences and breathe new life into their titles. It doesn’t matter if you are already familiar with Fortnite or are just starting to learn about the game’s early years; December 6 is a new starting point in the game’s history.
Image credit: Fortnite
