Fortnite is a survival co-op game developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly for macOS, Windows, Xbox, and PlayStation 47. Epic originally pitched it as a cross between Minecraft and Left 4 Dead, giving players prefab walls, floors, and ramps that snap together into forts while enemies attack3. The base game launched in July 2017 as a paid sandbox survival title focused on that building loop4.

The version most players know is Battle Royale, a free-to-play mode Epic bolted on in September 2017 that drops 100 players onto an island to fight until one is left standing2. The construction system carries into fights, so players can throw up cover walls or ramps mid-shootout, which gives Fortnite a distinct look next to other shooters. That mix of shooting and building, plus a zero-dollar price tag on every major platform, drove the game's massive growth into early 20183.

Playing Fortnite Battle Royale typically involves dropping onto a shrinking island, scavenging weapons and building materials, then combining shooting with fast construction of cover walls, floors, and ramps during firefights3. High-level play often looks more like building than aiming, which is what set Fortnite apart from other battle royale games like PUBG2. Common convention among streamers is playing duos or squads with friends and using the cross-play system to team up across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, the same setup Drake and Ninja used5.