After recent updates, the online first-person shooter game Fortnite has begun to take the internet by storm. The map has been transformed into a beautiful landscape of blossom trees and flower fields, and as a result, many new, young female gamers have flocked to the game to enjoy its “sandbox” features. In only months, a predominantly male gaming space has opened itself up to a broader variety of players. It’s no longer just your younger male cousin logging onto Fortnite when they get home from school. Women in university are doing it, too!
1. It’s free and easy to use
I first discovered Fortnite when my roommates and I started playing it for free on the Nintendo Switch. At the time, we did not know that Epic Games updated the map almost every month, so we thought Fortnite was just a Marvel game. We started playing near the end of Chapter 5: Season 4––Absolute Doom.The map had non-player characters (NPCs) that resembled Marvel superheroes and villains, and you could kill them for medallions that would give you powers, like turning invisible or gaining health after giving damage. As a Marvel fan myself, I was hooked right away. My roommates fell in love when they got to use the special myth weapons, like the Black Panther Claws and War Machine’s Hover Jets.
Chapter 5: Season 4 was the perfect launching ground for our obsession, as it was an easy update that helped us learn the game mechanics. Fornite’s weapon catalogue was stacked at the time, with enough mythic weapons that applied so much damage that they always ensured a Victory Royale. These easy, fun-to-use guns were one of the reasons why we girlies stayed hooked on the game.
For the girlies, one of the biggest draws to Fortnite is the fact that it resembles the Hunger Games: a hundred online Player-Characterss (PCs) placed in an arena and forced to fight to the death. It reminded my roommates and me of games from our childhood, like Minecraft Hunger Games, which we used to play online. Once we understood the simple rules of Fortnite: find good guns, run away, get a car, and kill everyone, my friends and I were pulling up on Xbox Cloud Gaming almost every night! This strange Fortnite phenomenon echoed on my TikTok––it was clear that the video game was being played by women everywhere.
TikTok user @selahless highlights her obsession in the video above. The meme depicts her and her friend unable to tell the difference between reality and the world of Fortnite.
2. There are fun skins and emotes
One element of Fortnite that truly shines in the girlies’ favour is the amount of trending skins and customizations available. Although Fortnite is free to play, gamers must use “Vbucks” to unlock unique character icons and skins. These can be unlocked from monthly battle passes, which gift players customization features like backblings (backpacks), contrails (an effect while falling), and gliders (transporters) for flying from the battle bus. As players level up in the game, they slowly collect rewards. Dedicated players can also purchase Vbucks online, but it’s a little pricey.
Epic Games has slowly started releasing more and more feminine skins to bring in a more diverse audience, which has changed the amount of colourful and fun skins in the game. In Fortnite, players can play as their favourite musicians, anime characters, movie characters, YouTubers, and even athletes. The girlies have become obsessed with playing as Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Hatsune Miku, Catwoman, Ice Spice, Lady Gaga, and Harley Quinn. People have also praised other skins like Festive Lace, PJ, Joss, Poison Ivy, and Etheria for their interesting colours, designs, and clothing.
Fortnite players also spend a lot of money on emotes, which are 1-2 minute-long dances/reactions your character can do at any point during gameplay. For women online, emotes that use music from their favourite musical artists are like coveted possessions. Popular emotes include Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go,” Madison Beer’s “Mine,” Jungle’s “Back on 74,” Sade’s “Smooth Operator,” Moongazer, Rushn’ Around, and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” as “Caffeinated.”
3. Fortnite is a sandbox game
When I say Fortnite is a sandbox game, I mean there is much room for exploration. The map is enormous, there is a wide variety of weapons to play with, and Epic Games updates its content monthly. Players can experience new plotlines, adventures, and heists each month, ranging from alien-themed battle grounds to killer NPC musicians like Snoop Dogg. Every drop location is full of fun Easter eggs or even hidden vaults that require a puzzle to be solved to enter.
In its last update, the map reflected traditional Japanese culture. This theme included Earth, Air, and Water sprites, collectable tiny creatures that received much praise from female game players. Specific locations quietly became girly landmarks on TikTok, which is loved for its beautiful visuals of cherry blossom trees, cat statues, mysterious purple forests, flowing flowers, tropical plants, and cute tiny robots.
Female fans also remember some updates for their strangeness and fond memories of the experience. At the end of January, players could play as Godzilla. In another update, after a player entered a portal, they would transform into a fire-breathing lizard. Now, many gals like to play with the pink or blue Godzilla skin, which was gifted to players for free after the update. Many Fortnite girlies like to combine the pink Godzilla skin with other pink accessories to make the campest locker loadout ever.
See TikTok user @geerophobia and her friend identify different Fortnite characters as toys in the store. While holding up an action figure of Godzilla, one of them identifies him as “the guy from Fortnite.”
Final Thoughts:
Ever since my roommates and I discovered the magical world of Fortnite, we have yet to put our controllers down. We regularly check the shop for updates, have spent a fair amount of money on skins already, and use a simple round or victory royale as motivation to complete our university assignments.
Game designers have jumped at the opportunity for a more female audience, and now more girlies have made their way to the online shooter game, hunting for sprites, emoting to fun little songs, and making friends along the way!
Have you ever tried playing Fortnite? You can do it for free on Xbox Cloud Gaming! Make yourself a Microsoft account, and you’ll be set for some strange yet entertaining action at Freaky Fields.