It’s the summer of 2018. You sign on to Fortnite, your friends join the lobby and you all want to drop Titled Towers, even though you get eliminated every time you go there right off the bus. You guys drop Titled once again, eliminate 15 players throughout the match and you see the classic “Victory Royale” screen when you win the match. Life is good.
Fast forward to 2023. It’s been a while since you thought about the original Fortnite map. Your life is much different than it was back in 2018. You then hear the news from Fortnite that they are bringing back the OG map in November, and you decided it’s time to sign back on for the first time in years. That was my mindset when I heard Fortnite was bringing back the OG map, and I reinstalled the game to see if I can still drop Titled Towers and eliminate everyone in sight (or fall off the top of the clock tower after landing and instantly get eliminated).
When I reinstalled the game, I saw there were still some leftover elements of the newest chapters of Fortnite, which included the sprint feature, sliding down a hill and the animations you would see on screen when the storm was closing in and a new storm circle would be set. It wasn’t authentic to the original season five, and that bugged me a little. The “Victory Royale” banner was also the new modified version where after you won, the game slowed for a moment and activated the new banner. The older “Victory Royale” banner where it popped up on the screen as soon as you won is missing, and I honestly don’t know why. However, there were a few things Epic Games did right when bringing back the OG Map.
Bringing back most of the weapons that were authentic to season five and before. The tactical submachine gun, a pump shotgun and, of course, the gold scar all reappeared in the game and weren’t replaced by the new weapons Fortnite introduced in other chapters. Seeing the weapons I started the game with back in 2018 made me really happy.
The locations were spot on. Tilted Towers, Lazy Links, Greasy Grove and my personal favorite, Retail Row, had most, if not all, of the original buildings from season five. The stores next to the water tower along with Lebron’s house were all in Retail Row once again, the clocktower and apartments were back in Titled Towers and the houses and stores were back in Greasy Grove like they never left. It was quite refreshing to see them again after numerous map changes and years away from the game.
One thing that is odd about Fortnite right now: the other players on the map. Before signing back on to Fortnite a few weeks ago, the most eliminations I ever had by myself in a game was eight. I’ve broken that personal best multiple times these past few weeks and even eliminated 17 players in a single match (and still came in second place because I forgot to reload my tactical SMG). Are these other players trying in the game, or are they not even real? There have been rumors that there are bots that fill the lobbies when there aren’t enough players, and they aren’t good. These other players don’t build, have terrible aim and seem to just wander over to you. When you encounter a skilled player, they start trying. You can see them building structures fast, alternating between weapons, and it’s a challenge to stay alive. Are there actually bots in the game? I don’t know, and I don’t think I ever will, but I’ll happily take 17 eliminations in a game.
It’s a shame that Fortnite will be removing the OG Map when December comes around. It’s the most fun I’ve had playing the game since I was in high school, and I think a lot of other people can confidently say that. If they decide to keep the OG Map as a new game feature, I’d stick around and keep playing.