Fortnite feels like it’s been around forever. Just the current subtitle, “Chapter 2 Season 8,” alone will raise eyebrows as to how long the battle royale has been one of the most popular games.

Fortnite has gone through numerous iterations since Epic Games launched the beta in 2017. Some people might look at the original release, then wonder if today’s version is the same title. Each of these iterations or seasons adds new weapons, modes, and locations. There’s even a storyline that branches together the island’s unique events, but the story doesn’t bring most players back for more matches.

The core of Fortnite’s longevity is a meta that refuses to stagnate. Epic almost always surprises players with fresh mechanics like vehicles or stealth elements. Even if some updates receive less praise than others (mechs), Fortnite knows how to get people’s attention. Let’s review how the meta behind this battle royale juggernaut continues to evolve.

Fortnite’s early days were much slower

Early Fortnite truly felt like a season one experience, especially compared to the current version. The game was a little simpler without some of the extra movement mechanics or items. Players didn’t even turbo build (rapidly create structures). This not only meant slow-paced matches, but also limited builds. Builds were mainly used to ramp up to high places or block gunshots with a simple wall.

This slower meta evolved into a heavier focus on camping throughout early seasons. Bush-camping (hiding in bushes) and building skybases were seen as the most viable season 2 strategies. The primary offensive tactic was double pump shotguns. Players looted two pump shotguns, then fired both in rapid succession for quick kills.

Many fans enjoyed the less build heavy meta since gunskill was more prevalent. The double shotguns meanwhile were almost universally disliked due to their dominance.

Turbo-builds and panic builds

Turbo-building in seasons three and four brought the game closer to how we play now. Suddenly players were able to quickly piece together builds in crazy ways. This season is best known for panic building, when players aimlessly explode into a 5 story mansion at the first sight of an attack. It was even more prevalent back than now because no one yet knew how to optimize builds.

New mechanics rapidly evolve the meta

Epic rotated various items and mechanics throughout the next few seasons. These highlights altered many of Fortnite’s fundamentals:

• New guns dominate the meta: The double pump shotgun combination was no longer possible in season 5. Players set their pickaxes on a pump/SMG drum gun combination as the next go-to arsenal.
• New build strats: Tricks like peaking around ramps and other builds for safe shots became almost necessary to win against better players.
• New mechanics: Players either love or hate zombies in Fortnite. These NPCs attack anyone in the area. You can either grind them for loot or use them as alerts whenever other players approach.
• New movement options: Shadow Cubes and Rifts gave players the ability to sneak up on nearby players or travel great distances, respectively. New vehicles: Shopping carts and planes offered additional mobility around the map. Out of these additions, season 7’s planes were the biggest game changer. Players would often drop into areas with planes, then use their amazing mobility to retake the high ground, get around faster, and shoot from above. It was even stronger in team matches. Players typically move less in team games in order to avoid flanks from multiple enemies. This slower pace made it easier for planes to pick off enemies on the ground.

Fortnite season 8 put building at the center of the meta

Turbo-building peaked in Season 8. Builds like 90 degrees, fortified ramps, double fortified ramps, and towers branching off into different builds became mandatory to beat good players. These various build and edit techniques brought Fortnite closer to its modern fighting game-like nature.

Epic saw the potential of competitive Fortnite. Season 8 also marked the launch of the Arena and the announcement of the Fortnite World Cup. This global event was the first of many big tournaments to come.

A Brute-al meta

The following seasons saw various decisions that made or broke the game for many.

• Extra mobility: One addition that still sticks around to this day came in season 9 is the access to more mobility. This was introduced in the form of the wind turbine rings that allow players to glide across the map.
• Extra build strats: This season featured even more build strategies like turtling. This defensive tactic lengthened endgame build fights, requiring players to preserve resources and practice inputs for more optimal builds/edits.
• Mechs: Following these great developments came the cursed season of mechs. The meta revolved around grabbing one as fast as possible, then taking out anyone in your path. Entering one basically turned you into a boss-fight. Pilots had high HP and could easily take out even the best builds within seconds. Players rejoiced as soon as these bad boys were removed in the following season.

A new chapter

The end of season 10 brought the world to a new chapter in Fortnite. While the map, collabs, and size of the game changed, most fundamentals remain the same. Build fights have become bigger than ever with more tech and tricks based on new items and patches. The endgame usually consists of players getting enough materials and rushing to the final circle as fast as possible to set up for a final battle. As always, a good shotgun is mandatory to win these close encounters.

Though each season of this new chapter switches up map quirks and weapons, we haven't really seen any big changes comparable to the prior Fortnite seasons. Does that mean we’ve reached the end of the meta? I wouldn’t call it the end.

The future of competitive Fortnite

As more techniques like phasing and quick edits develop instead of new game-changing mechanics, the onus to dictate the meta shifts to the community rather than Epic. But I do think for the most part the competitive meta has been solved, which is usually the case for long-running titles like Fortnite. You never can tell though. Maybe in the future the game will drastically change again to revitalize the meta like in its earlier days.