What is the OG Fortnite?

"OG" stands for "Original Gangster" – a term used by Fortnite players to talk about the early days of the game. Specfically, OG refers to the first few seasons of Fortnite Battle Royale, which launched in September 2017. Players who have been playing since Season 1 or 2 are considered "OGs" and are respected for their loyalty.

So in essence, OG Fortnite refers to the iconic early era of the game, shown through rare skins and nostalgia for older maps and mechanics.

The History of OG Fortnite

Let‘s take a deeper look at those early OG seasons that veterans cherish so much today:

Season 1 – September 27, 2017 to December 13, 2017

• First ever season of Fortnite Battle Royale
• Introduced the original map, which became beloved by players
• Defined the core gameplay loop and mechanics we still see today
• Initial item/weapon roster focused on basics like assault rifles, shotguns, grenades
• Skins were very rare – only a few basic outfits in the item shop
• Big moments: First Victory Royale, battle pass, launch on consoles

Season 2 – December 14, 2017 to February 21, 2018

• Winter theme after the holidays, bringing snow to parts of the map
• Added more unique skin outfits like Red Knight, Crackshot, Codename E.L.F.
• Introduced back bling cosmetics to customize look even more
• Added new consumable items like the Chug Jug for shield
• Featured time-limited events like "14 Days of Fortnite"

Season 3 – February 22, 2018 to April 30, 2018

• Space theme, meteor appearing over the island teasing a mysterious event…
• Customizable progressive outfits – Carbide/Omega lights via XP
• Limited time 50 vs 50 mode premiered, wild chaos with two large teams
• QOL improvements, UI overhaul, better squad communication
• End of season live event – meteor strikes, blowing up Dusty Depot into Dusty Divot

I still fondly remember these early seasons when Fortnite was fresh, unknown, and full of possibility. As a day one player myself, experiencing all the new additions and epic live events blew my mind as a gamer.

Rarest OG Skins as Status Symbols

Skins from these first seasons almost never return, making them incredibly rare – the ultimate status symbol among dedicated players. Here are some of the most coveted OG skins:

*Rarity score based on skin popularity and last seen date
**Approximate account selling value with skin (USD)

As you can see, a handful of skins immediately stand out as the most iconic – and also most elusive. Renegade Raider, the female raider outfit with the eye black and cowboy hat, is hands down the rarest skin out there.

Accounts with access to Renegade Raider often sell for $500+ among collectors and hardcore fans. Same goes for Aerial Assault Trooper, the covert ops-looking default male skin.

These skins will likely stay locked away, since bringing them back to the item shop would undermine their rarity. And for OG players who own them, that exclusivity and status is important.

The Loyalty & Nostalgia of OG Players

For those of us who were there in Chapter 1 dropping into Fortnite for the very first time, those memories of discovery and early excitement stick with us.

I still remember my first few Victory Royales during Season 1, heart pounding as I barely outplayed the last squad. Or transforming the Carbide skin from battle pass into a glowing, badass warrior through hours of playtime to unlock its lights.

Origin stories like this foster a strong sense of nostalgia and loyalty among OG fans – even as we‘ve moved on from actively playing as much. We cherish the skins, emotes, and memories that new players simply don‘t have access to.

There‘s a reverence and shared respect among early adopters that bridged the gap when Fortnite blew up into mainstream popularity. We understand the significance of certain skins and miss the simpler early gameplay before building became over-the-top.

Epic even pays homage to the OG players by recreating old POIs (points of interest) like Tilted Towers sometimes for events or limited time modes.

But for OGs, nothing beats those first few months of Fortnite figuring everything out together, forging memories in a freshly minted Battle Royale before content updates and collabs took over.

Attempts to Resurrect OG Fortnite

For players craving an authentic OG Fortnite fix there are limited options, though technically against Epic‘s rules. Small communities of programmers have reverse engineered old Fortnite clients to launch custom servers mimicking the original experience.

However running these "OG servers" is a massive technical challenge, even for software experts. Recreating the source code, assets, player accounts, etc. involves breaching Epic‘s IP rights, so participation means risking legal action. Only the most dedicated fans go through this trouble.

There‘s also various Creative maps like "OG Fortnite" allowing you to explore the original island and iconic areas. But you can‘t actually play full matches with original weapons and items.

Epic likely sees little financial incentive to devote resources to launch official legacy servers or make OG content widely available. Most current players have joined recently during the cultural phenomenon stage of Fortnite. They simply want new collabs, skins, events – not nostalgia.

Still, the OG era persists in spirit through players rediscovering clips of early gameplay or donning extremely rare skins. It reminds the Fortnite community of its origins branching out from a scrappy upstart game to a global multi-billion dollar titan of entertainment.

And for those of us who were there from the beginning, OG Fortnite represents innocent excitement, new friendships, awesome emergent moments, and our introduction to the hottest game on the planet. It‘s only fitting to honor the OGs who paved the way with their early support and loyalty.

So in summary my friends, I hope this guide gave you a comprehensive breakdown on the history, importance, and elusive rarity surrounding OG Fortnite skins and culture. Game recognizes game – respect to all you fellow OGs reading this! Let me know your thoughts on Fortnite‘s early days…