Epic Games shook up the Fortnite world this week by bringing back the original map and gameplay from Chapter 1. This blast from the past shattered Fortnite’s concurrent player and hours played records, attracting over 44.7 million players and 102 million hours logged in a single day.
The return of the OG (original) map provides a nostalgic experience for long-time Fortnite fans. Popular named locations like Dusty Depot, Greasy Grove, and Lucky Landing are back in their original forms. Epic also brought back many iconic weapons and items from early seasons like the Pump Shotgun, Hunting Rifle, Damage Trap, and Boogie Bomb.
Fortnite Queue Times and Server Issues
The massive influx of excited players did lead to some launch day woes. Extended queue times stretched over an hour for some, leading to frustration. Others experienced intermittent server trouble that kicked them from matches. However, Epic worked quickly to scale up capacity and stabilize the servers.
Epic advised players to party up with friends to speed up matchmaking. They also encouraged trying alternative regions if your home region has a long wait. Check out the Fortnite OG trailer below.
OG Cosmetics and Battle Pass
Along with the classic map and gear, Fortnite released numerous OG-themed cosmetics. The OG Pass offers over 50 throwback items like gliders, pickaxes, wraps and more. Players can purchase the pass for 950 V-Bucks and earn up to 1,000 V-Bucks from progression rewards.
The OG Shop rotates in classic outfits and skins from early seasons. Epic also released mashup outfits that blend elements from multiple skins. For example, you can sport Black Knight armor with a Cuddle Team Leader head.
Competitive Improvements
Fortnite’s ranked competitive modes also received an overhaul this season. The biggest change is a recalibration of the matchmaking system. This aims to provide fairer matches for highly ranked players and faster progression for ranks above average.
Epic introduced competitive urgent quests that unlock unique rewards like the Ranker’s Tags back bling. This displays the highest rank you achieved that season for bragging rights.
Other comp improvements include ranked cups with prizes like gliders, and leaderboards to track top performers.
More Nostalgia on the Way
The OG island experience currently features Chapter 1 Season 5. But Epic plans to rotate through different classic seasons over the course of Chapter 4.
Dataminers uncovered evidence that Season 6, 7, 8, 9, and X content is on the way. This includes winter and pirate themed biomes, plus future-focused locations. Iconic weapons like the Flint-Knock Pistol, Quad Launcher, Infantry Rifle, and Storm Flip are also slated to return.
For dedicated Fortnite fans, Chapter 4 Season 1 OG is a nostalgic blast from the past. And with more throwback content on the horizon, the excitement and record numbers will likely continue. Relive the early days of Fortnite while enjoying quality of life upgrades and competitive improvements. Just be prepared for some long queue times as millions flock back to the original island.
