Fortnite‘s Original Name Was ‘Fortnite: Save the World‘

As a gamer who has sunk countless hours into Fortnite since its launch, I‘ve witnessed firsthand the game‘s evolution from a paid cooperative experience into the Battle Royale titans it is today. While BR gets all the attention now, I still have a soft spot for the original PvE mode that started it all: Save the World.

In this deep dive, we‘ll explore Fortnite‘s origins and the meaning behind its name while revealing why Save the World still manages to charm players five years later. Get ready for some nostalgia, stats, and perspectives from yours truly, a gamer who remembers jumping into my first mission back in 2017 when Fortnite was fresh, new, and nothing like the Battle Royale icon it is now.

The Early Vision: Crafting a Bridge Between Building Games and Shooters

Development on Fortnite began around 2011, right after Epic Games shipped the third Gears of War title. Inspired by sandbox building phenomena like Minecraft, the idea was to fuse construction elements with shooting gameplay. Epic referred to it as “Minecraft meets Left 4 Dead.”

But with weapons, leveling systems, and more involved progression, Save the World was much closer to being a full-fledged action RPG rather than another sandbox builder. Teams of up to four players could build elaborate forts during the day and defend them from zombie-esque Husks at night.

Here are some key development milestones in the 6 year road to Fortnite‘s initial early access launch:

When Fortnite finally hit early access in July 2017, the base game focused entirely around cooperative PvE survival. But Epic had bigger plans…

From Paid Early Access to Free-to-Play Phenomenon

While gearing up for Fortnite‘s full free-to-play launch, Epic Games noticed the runaway success of a new genre taking PC gaming by storm: Battle Royale. Games like PlayerUnknown‘s Battlegrounds (PUBG) were pulling in tens of millions of players and breaking all-time Steam records.

Sensing this rising trend, Epic developed their own Battle Royale mode for Fortnite in just two months. Fortnite BR shipped as a free accompanying mode in September 2017, opening the floodgates to a massive new audience.

Within a year, Fortnite Battle Royale had eclipsed the original PvE experience in popularity. As Save the World remained in paid early access, BR captured the cultural zeitgeist and became a free-to-play behemoth.

Here‘s a comparison of Fortnite‘s game modes:

Why "Fortnite"? The Meaning Behind the Name

So why name a game focused on building forts and defensive structures Fortnite? The term “fortnight” refers to a period of two weeks. This fits with Save the World‘s core loop of constructing forts during the day to defend every 14 day cycles when enemies attack at night.

According to interviews with Epic‘s team leads, "the name reflects the time limit on each session." In the original Fortnite: Save the World pitch, players had two weeks to build forts before a big climactic showdown on the 14th night.

So while the Battle Royale mode ditches this concept entirely, the name Fortnite is forever tied to those early PvE roots of building forts to outlast enemy raids every fortnight.

Why I Still Love Fortnite: Save the World in 2023

Now 5+ years after launch, Epic continues supporting Fortnite: Save the World alongside Battle Royale. As an OG Fortnite gamer who was there on day one, I still regularly revisit the PvE mode for all the unique fun it offers.

Here‘s a passionate gamer’s perspective on why Save the World retains a special charm:

Endless Weapon Variety and Hero Builds

While Battle Royale has a fixed roster of weapons and tools, Save the World boasts a staggeringly deep arsenal split across 12 weapon classes like pistols, snipers, explosives and more. On top of that are dozens of melee weapons, trap schematics to build, and devices to tweak your fort defenses.

The sheer variety keeps loot exciting in a way BR can rarely match. You also collect Hero characters with distinct perks and abilities to experiment with different loadout builds similar to RPGs.

Engaging Co-Op Gameplay

Rather than straight competitive PvP, Fortnite: Save the World puts cooperation at the forefront. Fending off swarms of enemies by constructing mazes, traps, and tunnels brings great group synergy. Supporting each other with buffs and healing also builds camaraderie.

It‘s always satisfying saving a teammate from the brink by tossing a well-timed healing bomb or drawing Husk aggro with some distracting shots. These small social moments give PvE an endearing personality.

Tons of PvE Content and Progression

After 5+ years of updates, Fortnite: Save the World has a mountain of PvE content from hundreds of story quests to procedural missions across different biomes. Weapon sets, gear, and inventory management add long-term RPG depth. Events like Frostnite and dungeon lab runs offer fun limited-time co-op challenges.

While PvP dominated Fortnite’s cultural boom, Save the World retained a modest but loyal community enamored by its horizons of PvE activities spanning base building, defending sites, looting new gear, and unlocking heroes.

In Closing

And there you have it — the comprehensive origin story of Fortnite from its initial vision as Save the World to the unprecedented popularity of Battle Royale. With development underway for nearly 6 years before release and the pivot to free-to-play, Fortnite underwent an unpredictable evolution few could have anticipated.

Yet throughout the meteoric highs as the world‘s biggest game, Fortnite stayed humble and true to its roots by keeping PvE as a playable alternative. As seen by its special charms even 5 years post-launch, the original Save the World DNA continues beating strong.

So whether you lived through those early days in 2017 or jumped in when creative modes took over, hopefully this glimpse into Fortnite’s beginnings sparked some nostalgia and new appreciation. Because behind one of gaming’s biggest cultural resets is an OG co-op experience that still shines bright once you dig beneath the Battle Royale limelight.