Fortnite hype: What's my kid playing?

It is currently one of the most popular games of all: millions of people worldwide play "Fortnite: Battle Royale. In the free online game, the aim is to be the last of 100 players to stay alive. Fortnite is currently a trend among children and young people. However, Fortnite is not suitable for younger people in particular.

How does Fortnite work?

"Fortnite: Battle Royale" is available in different game modes. Players can either compete alone, in pairs or in teams of four. The teams are formed either from known players or randomly from strangers. Team members can exchange information and discuss strategies via voice chat.

The gameplay is the same for all modes: At the beginning, all online players are in a virtual waiting room until they are randomly assigned to a game. A round starts with 100 opponents landing on a deserted island. The goal is to beat the other players and to be the last to survive - if you play as a team, you all win together. Opponents are not shown on the overview map after landing on the island. The player must therefore always be on the lookout for attacks. To survive, raw materials and equipment must be collected. Building materials such as wood or stone are obtained with a pickaxe. With the help of these raw materials, protective walls and entire forts can be built to protect against enemy attacks. Players can also overcome cliffs or other obstacles by building stairs and bridges themselves. Weapons and health kits are hidden in crates and piñatas. Good equipment increases the chances of surviving against an opponent. Searching, hiding and building are important parts of the game.

Not only the other players stand in the way of survival, but also hurricanes that hit the island. Whoever is in the eye of the storm loses life. In this way, the playing area becomes smaller and smaller until all remaining players meet in the center of the island. A direct confrontation between the individual players and teams is now usually forced. At the latest when the radius shrinks to a minimum, hiding is no longer of much use and shooting at teammates is often unavoidable. The winner is the one who stays alive until the end.

Fortnite

What are the risks?

Fortnite is a survival shooter in terms of gameplay. However, the graphic design also makes the game look childish and harmless. Weapons are not depicted realistically, but they are based on existing models. If players die, neither blood nor corpses are shown. They decay much more and leave behind collected resources, weapons and tools as loot for the victor. Losers can continue to follow the course of the game from the point of view of their opponents after their elimination or return to the waiting hall to enter a new game.

Some game features can pose risks for children. For one, gun violence is often a mandatory means of victory in Fortnite. Players may be able to hide, avoid others, or have their teammates shoot at opponents. In the long run, however, the game is designed for shooting. Another risk factor is in-game purchases. Virtual currency can be used to buy individual skins, i.e. to visually upgrade one's own game character. Without these enhancements, players start each round with new avatars. The recognition value provided by an own game character and other features such as victory dances can have a great appeal for children. Since virtual currency can be earned slowly through game progress, the temptation to invest real money in such expansions is great. However, not all players can or want to afford to outfit their avatars with special clothing through in-app purchases or have them dance paid victory dances.

Fortnite has a built-in chat function: players can get in touch with strangers from all over the world - without any form of moderation to protect against unwanted and inappropriate comments and questions. Thus, people fighting against each other can easily insult and threaten each other. The reason for hostility can be the equipment of the game characters. Anyone who plays Fortnite in a start outfit is insulted as a default. A term that has now also crept into the everyday language of the younger generations. Translated, it means something like "default." Through Fortnite, the idea of having to own expensive brand-name clothing in order to be cool in the peer group can thus be transferred from real life to the online world. With a parental control, the Fortnite chat can be turned off or filtered for offensive comments.