Why Fortnite's cooperative mode shouldn't be left in the dust

By Brendan Lowry
last updated

Epic Games' Fortnite Battle Royale has grown into a juggernaut in the gaming scene, boasting millions of concurrent players. However, it seems that the title's cooperative mode has been left behind.

Fortnite
Fortnite (Image credit: Epic Games)

Ever since it's launch back in September, Fortnite's free Battle Royale mode has quickly risen in popularity and has now become one of the hottest titles in the gaming industry. It has even managed to surpass games such as PUBG, Rainbow Six: Siege, and in some rare cases, Counter Strike: Global Offensive on Twitch.

Unfortunately, in the wake of Fortnite's success, what the game was originally has been overshadowed — a cooperative player-versus-enemy (PvE) hybrid between a shooter and a tower defense game, dubbed Save The World. While admittedly rough around the edges, it still has massive potential. Here's why I think Epic Games should make sure it gets love moving forward.

What makes the cooperative mode special?

The shooter and tower defense genres are two types of games that couldn't be more different. One of them emphasizes battling enemies with firearms, while the other is centered around the strategic placement of bunkers, towers, turrets, and other structures to stop hordes of foes. Yet, Fortnite manages to blend them together with the Save The World mode.

In Save The World, teams of up to four players scavenge for wood, stone, and metal. Then, they build a base around an objective they need to protect, complete with traps, turrets, and layers of walls and other structures. Soon after the base is done, armies of zombies assault the base, and the team then has to defend their headquarters with rifles, rocket launchers, and everything between.

Unlike Fortnite Battle Royale, which bases its concept on the formula seen in games like PUBG or H1Z1: King of the Kill, Save The World is a unique idea that no other game has explored before. It was so cool to see these two genres merged into something that works as well as it does, and that's why it's sad that Battle Royale has stolen its spotlight.

Can Epic Games revive Save The World?

Though the Battle Royale mode has completely knocked the cooperative experience out of relevancy, I do believe there are some ways that Epic Games can turn it around and ultimately make it popular. One way they could do this is by making Save The World free-to-play, like Battle Royale is. This would allow more people access to the co-op experience, and they could even still make money by implementing cosmetic items for purchase.

Another thing they could attempt to do is add more content to Save The World and make it have more variety. The Battle Royale mode tried out ideas like sniper rifles only matches and epic 50 versus 50 battles; why not apply some of that creativity to the cooperative mode? Different ways to play a game usually keep the experience feeling fresh, and I don't believe that this is an exception.

Lastly, if the developers chose to market Save The World some more, it would likely see more players. For the most part, Fortnite didn't gain popularity until the Battle Royale mode came out as an alternative to PUBG, and so it's likely that the vast majority of Fortnite's audience doesn't even know much about Save The World. If Epic Games gave it some love in current ads or commercials, people would see what they're missing.

Of course, it's worth pointing out that to invest so much into the cooperative mode would be a risky move. If it works, then Fortnite's success will rise even higher, but if it fails, then that would be a lot of money and effort wasted. Epic Games may want to simply stick with what's working.

Your thoughts

Do you think Fortnite Save The World is itself worth saving? Let me know what you think.

Fortnite Save The World is available for $39.99 on Xbox One and PC. Fortnite Battle Royale is free.

Brendan Lowry
Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.

13 Comments
  • The Save the World mode is incredible.  At least, I love it.  It's what I still consider to be "Fortnite".  Saying that, they've painted themselves into a corner.  Expecting gamers who were introduced to Fortnite to grind and grind and grind for everything in the Save the World mode is a hard sell.  I mean ammo, schematics, traps, etc. etc. all have to be grinded for. Hopefully this is less of an issue IF they update it properly.  It's not a free to play game at this point so I really hope they reduce the grinding.  Then, I think it'll be a great breath of fresh air for those looking to take a break from Battle Royale or to earn V-Bucks. It's an amazing game and it's sad to see all the articles about how Epic should or may be leaving it behind as it's what bankrolled Battle Royale.
  • Agreed wholeheartedly, friend.
  • I'm not a fan of the battle royale portion of fortnite. I do enjoy PUBG however.  I do really want to play Save the World though.  I just can't justify paying for it when they have already announced it would be free to play.  Any word of when this will be happening or has this gone to the wayside because the battle royale has taken off?
  • I thought I remember hearing Q1, 2018 but I could be wrong and that was even before their Battle Royale mode.
  • Save the World gets patches every time Battle Royale gets patches. I don't think they'll be forgetting about it in a hurry.
  • Yeah, but that's just optimization stuff and/or event themed items. Nothing really new comes to it.
  • Have you seen the roadmap they've posted for StW? There are plans to rework some core mechanics, music etc in near future. Story for Canny/Twine probably later.
  • Does this mode support local/split screen co-op?
  • It does not.
  • No split screen.
  • If the Save The World mode went F2P I would pick it up in a heartbeat. I really loved the style of game with Coffee Stain Studio's game Sanctum on Steam. It came out in 2011. It too mixes FPS with tower defense, and includes coop play.
  • They are making Fortnite free to play this year. Just not sure when.
  • I hope they do focus on the co-op player-vs-enemy not many games with the tower defense mechanism games with p-v-e. As not everyone wants to play a competitive p-v-p game after a long day of work.