It's officially the end of an era for Fortnite

Fortnite Save the world has officially gone free-to-play, marking the end of an era. Players had to pay to play Fortnite Save the World since its early access in 2017 and now, for the first time, they can jump in and try the survival game completely free.

Fortnite Save the world is a cooperative PvE survival game and was originally intended to be the primary game mode. However, huge popularity FortniteThe Battle Royale game mode meant that Epic's priorities shifted to save the world was pushed even further into the background. The original plan was for Fortnite Save the world to go free-to-play as early as 2018, but that was delayed in favor of a paid release in 2020. Now, almost nine years after the launch of early access, it has finally fulfilled that plan.

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Fortnite Save the World is officially free to play

In a post on the Epic Games forum, the developer confirmed that from April 16, 2026 Fortnite Save the world is officially free to play on all platforms. The move coincides with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 version, which occurred on the same day. Epic Games originally announced Fortnite The move to free-to-play Save the World in March, when fans got the update they've been asking for for years. According to the developer, players who pre-registered on the Save the World website before April 16 will have access to all community rewards, while anyone who previously paid for the game “will also receive Superchargers, vouchers and gold for keeping up the fight.”

The update made a significant change Fortnite Save the world's home base and turn it into a “fully explorable space that grows with your Save the World journey.” Players can move between two floors where they will be able to “find familiar characters and locations inspired by classic menus, with the atmosphere changing as you unlock features and progress.” There are some Fortnite Save the World Twitch Drop rewards are available until April 21st.

how to get XP in Fortnite Save the World

To celebrate Save the World going free-to-play, Epic Games is holding a crossover event between Survival Mode and Battle Royale until June 5th. Players who earn 350,000 XP during the Save the World event can unlock the Jess Outfit for their lockers. Only XP earned by playing Fortnite Save the World counts towards this progress. Meanwhile, Jess and Penny can be found in Battle Royale as quest givers, with exclusive rewards available to those who complete their quest lines throughout the duration of the event.

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It wasn't all great news at Epic Games and Fortnite late. The developer recently laid off more than 1,000 employees due to a decline in company engagement Fortnite. As a result, he also confirmed that three Fortnite game modes shut down: Rocket Racing, Ballistic and Festival Battle Stage. Rocket Racing will remain active until October 2026, while both Ballistic and the Festival Battle Stage have been taken offline as part of the free-to-play Save the World update.