Signs You're Addicted To Fortnite
It's no secret that battle royale games have made a sudden rise to popularity in the gaming community. Of those to choose from, Fortnite has proven time and time again that it holds the title of front runner. The common battle royale elements of the game combined with the unique aspect of building has created something that resonates with players and is oftentimes thought to be addictive.
But what's the difference between a casual Fortnite player, and one who plays a bit too much? There are many signs of Fortnite addiction, from knowing every dance move to swearing that you can hear chests whenever you enter a building in real life. And while most gamers don't play quite as often as Ninja, this game still has ways of seeping into your subconscious and manifesting in your day-to-day life. Here are a few of the signs that you just might be addicted to Fortnite.
Your go-to dance moves are all from Fortnite
Despite recent controversy surrounding the origin of some of Fortnite's emotes, it's well known that Fortnite has spawned a whole new set of dance moves for the current generation of gamers. Even non-gamers have picked up on these moves and have integrated them into popular culture. Between the ever-growing popularity of flossing to every other random emote that can be seen popping up across high schools nationwide, everyone seems to love Fortnite dances.
For someone who plays a lot of Fortnite and maybe doesn't have many moves in their repertoire already, it's easy to see how all of your dance moves can comfortably fall back onto the tried and true combinations that Fortnite has provided. But if the only thing you bust out on the dance floor is a floss or a dab, you just might be one of the many sufferers of Fortnite addiction. At least you know there are worse things that could spawn from playing too much Fortnite.
You've developed a sudden interest in skydiving
Most games resonate with players because they offer an experience you wouldn't normally be able to get in real life. Morality aside, having super powers, living in a post-apocalyptic society, or trying your hand at ranching some slime are intriguing prospects in a society where most experiences are limited to the mundane. While your odds of surviving a real battle royale would be slim, there are some more exciting aspects of Fortnite that are slightly less lethal that you may find a sudden interest in.
Jumping out of the battle bus and skydiving down to an island full of people who want to kill you all while avoiding a deadly storm doesn't sound particularly appealing. But taking a simple hot air balloon ride or even mustering the courage to start skydiving are a bit more within reason. It's no doubt that if you're a frequent player of Fortnite, you think of the game every time you see a bus or hot air balloon. But some may take their obsession to new heights and actually start participating in those activities in the real world. As long as you don't finish off your skydiving expedition with a mass killing spree on an island, this part of your addiction doesn't seem too harmful.
You get nervous about the storm closing in
Just like an avid Sims player can't hear the word "motherlode" without thinking of their favorite cheat code to get rich quick, there are some key words and phrases that will always remind you of something from your favorite game. For BioShock fans, casual references to Adam and Eve take on a whole new meaning, while a certain unstoppable threat in Fortnite is easily brought to mind in day-to-day conversation.
Forget small talk, when your friends ask about the weather, the first thing that comes to mind for a true addict of Fortnite is the dreaded storm that poses a constant threat to players across the map. While being killed by your fellow gamers is always the most pressing threat, it's impossible to forget about the storm that is constantly shrinking your playing field as you fight to the death. And if you do manage to forget about the impending doom, you won't forget for long.
Because of this, any innocent mention of weather in your real life may bring on unwelcome flashbacks to those desperate moments trying to outrun the shrinking storm while also attempting to scope out any possible enemies waiting for you on the other side of that safety line.
Constantly hearing the sound of a chest
Hearing common sounds from video games in day-to-day life isn't anything new. For the gamers brave enough to try to outsmart Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th, it may be the ominous sound of his music that haunts gamers in their real life. While for avid fans of titles like Plants vs Zombies, it may be the sound of impending doom in the form of an undead attack. For Fortnite players, however, the sound that haunts them isn't necessarily a frightening one. Instead, it tends to be something that elicits a feeling of an item that is frustratingly elusive.
Many Fortnite players who spend a great deal of time in the battle royale tend to report that they feel like they're constantly hearing the sound of a nearby chest in the real world. As frustrating as chests can be in Fortnite itself, imagine hearing the sound of a nearby crate full of loot in a situation where you know there won't be any reward at the end of this imagined sound. At least in Fortnite, even though they can sometimes be difficult to find or can lead you into a trap from another player camping out the site, there is always the possibility that your search will reward you with something worthwhile. Having these auditory hallucinations in the real world, however, will only end in a distinct feeling of annoyance.
When you think of where you'd place ramps
After playing too many games of Tetris or Bejeweled, it's easy to start seeing patterns in everyday life. You may start looking at that stack of boxes in your storage room with a more discerning eye, or you might even see a packed freeway as an opportunity to rearrange some cars to make more room and eliminate traffic. But in a game like Fortnite, it's often different things that stick with players once they've logged off of the game. And luckily, these "different things" don't involve people-watching while plotting how you'd take down an innocent passerby.
Instead, Fortnite players often find themselves attempting to think of creative ways to overcome obstacles in the game. When logged out of the game, this turns into trying to think of how you'd overcome various obstacles in the real world. Someone who's addicted to Fortnite might take a leisurely stroll through their neighborhood only to find themselves wondering where they could place a ramp in order to get onto the roof of a house. Of course, you can only hope this is a hypothetical for them; breaking and entering is often frowned upon in polite society. But even still, it's entertaining to think about how you could apply the building mechanics of Fortnite to things in your everyday life.
You see a structure in real life and wonder how many mats you could get
The ability to harvest materials and use them to build structures is one of the things that truly sets Fortnite apart in its genre. Games like Minecraft have risen to eternal fame because of their ability to capture a gamer's imagination and allow them to utilize their creativity. This act of creation makes players feel as if they're a part of the game. In a battle royale game like Fortnite, this element is unexpected and refreshing, offering creative solutions to problems that would otherwise be solved by either stealth or heavy DPS.
If you're one of those avid gamers who has taken your Fortnite obsession to an unhealthy extreme, you may find yourself seeing opportunities to harvest building materials in the real world. It's not uncommon to let a gaming obsession bleed into your everyday life, and with a game as intense as Fortnite, you're bound to run into this problem. Being constantly on alert for any structures that may yield mats (materials) for building in Fortnite might make you a bit too focused once the game is turned off. If you find yourself walking down the street and wondering how much wood you could get from chopping down a tree in the park, just take a moment to remind yourself that you aren't playing Fortnite. Also, remind yourself that you'd probably be arrested for destruction of public property.
When you try to build in other FPS games
First-person shooter games have been around for years. The genre remains, to this day, one of the most popular in the industry. These games have become more and more unique as they each implement different mechanics to set them apart from the rest of their class. Often times, new FPS games will add elements of horror, science fiction, or even puzzles to their stories to keep things fresh and attract new players.
But as different as first-person shooter games have become, they all still have a few elements that seem to remain the same. The user interface is often similar between different games of the genre, while inventory and controls are also relatively standard. One of the things that sets Fortnite apart in its genre is the ability to build structures to overcome obstacles and protect your avatar. Because of the appeal of this gaming mechanic, many avid players of Fortnite may find themselves forgetting that they aren't playing their beloved Fortnite and attempt to use building mechanics in other first-person shooters where the ability doesn't exist. Maybe other FPS games will start to follow Fortnite's lead and implement this mechanic themselves, in which case, your addiction might pay off.
When you have more V-Bucks than bucks
Many free-to-play games have found that their business is completely sustainable because of microtransactions. The only problem is that in order to keep your business afloat, you have to have something exciting enough to capture the attention of an audience and persuade them to spend real-world money on something virtual. Luckily for Epic Games, they created an international hit when they released Fortnite. Because of this, they aren't hurting at all to meet their profit goals.
A sign of someone who has spent too much time and energy on Fortnite is their real-world to in-game bank account ratio. If you find that your real-life bank account is constantly empty or nearly empty while you have endless amounts of V-Bucks in Fortnite, it's possible that your addiction may have gone just a bit too far. While microtransactions can be great for gaining an advantage over the more casual players, it can also be incredibly addicting for avid gamers. One of the major appeals of these microtransactions is to set yourself apart from the noobs with default skins. Being able to sport unique looks is almost like a show of experience, and on the battlefield that can mean intimidating those around you. Because of the success Fortnite has seen, it's no surprise that gamers who are loyal to the game are more than willing to spend a little real-life cash in order to cement their status.
You know where chests should be
One of the telltale signs that you've been playing a game a bit too much is knowing exactly where things are in a level. This can also manifest in a gamer's ability to memorize different maps, fighting patterns of NPCs, and sensing hidden traps. While this is a skill that would have come in handy back in the days of the Sega Aladdin game on the "Cave of Wonders" level, it's still proving beneficial today where Fortnite is concerned.
After playing so many rounds of Fortnite's battle royale, it's only inevitable that you'll begin to memorize certain aspects of the game. From where certain buildings reside, to where loot is commonly found, remembering these small details can prove incredibly beneficial to those who know how to utilize this. For someone who plays Fortnite often, there are some things that become second nature. For example, while the locations of chests in Fortnite change with every round of the battle royale, there are some spots that are simply more likely to contain a chest than others. For those who play Fortnite often, they tend to already know where certain chests should reside, thereby giving them a huge advantage when they load up on gear and weapons before anyone else in the map.
You see pallets at Costco as opportunities
While many people at Costco may be distracted by the free samples and endless amounts of bulk foods, Fortnite players may find themselves having a difficult time paying attention for many different reasons. Because the pallets found in Costco stores bear a striking resemblance to the constructed walls, platforms, and ramps in Fortnite, it's easy to see why encountering these might lead to offline players taking some time to strategize mentally just how they'd utilize these pallets in order to overcome the hordes of shoppers constantly found at the wholesale retailer.
Whether it's simply the wishful thinking of an introvert trapped in a maze of people at a crowded grocery store, or the overactive imagination of an avid Fortnite player, the wooden pallets found at many stores are just too similar to Fortnite structures to ignore. And anyone who has spent too much time playing Fortnite will undoubtedly be unable to ignore the similarities or stop themselves from mentally attempting to construct an escape route in their heads. As long as they don't pull the pallets off the shelves to build these structures in real life, a little mental strategizing seems harmless enough.
Listening for footsteps everywhere you go
Just like the sound of an unopened chest can haunt Fortnite players in their offline lives, there's another auditory cue that most connoisseurs of this battle royale find themselves listening for even when they aren't in the game.
Out of habit, people who've played Fortnite a little too much might listen intently to their surroundings. Being alert and attentive during a battle royale can be the difference between virtual life and death. One of the simple mechanics in Fortnite that actually plays a huge part in the game's appeal is that footsteps can alert you to an enemy's position. It can tell you where others are hiding or even point you in the direction of an unwitting gamer who hasn't quite mastered the art of stealth. Using this, many players can easily pick off their opponents from a hidden location without the other players even knowing they were there.
Of course, if you play a bit too much Fortnite, this may translate into obsessively listening for footsteps every time you walk around your home or office. Even though you're hopefully not working in an area where a battle royale is taking place, you just might find yourself listening for any potential threats in your area. It's not an easy habit to turn off.
For you, celebrities are only Fortnite-famous
One of the most impressive things that has come from Fortnite is its appeal to such a wide audience. Seasoned gamers were an obvious target audience for the game, but people who don't usually play video games have flocked to it in droves, proving that there is such a thing as games for non-gamers. This has helped grow the gaming community exponentially since its release.
Among the scores of "non-gamers" who have recently joined the ranks of the Fortnite community are a surprising number of celebrities. Celebrities in the gaming world who have made their name through Fortnite have often been seen playing alongside pop culture celebrities usually associated with Hollywood and the sports world. This combination of gaming and non-gaming celebrities shed even more light on Fortnite and has, in turn, helped it to continue growing into a new demographic. One of the signs that you may follow Fortnite a bit too closely is your extensive knowledge of which celebrities play Fortnite. In fact, if you fall into the ranks of the "addicts," you may find yourself judging celebrities based on if they play Fortnite or not. Suddenly Joe Jonas and Drake are your new favorites.