Fortnite's Return To Classic Seasons Highlights An Uncertain Future For Free-To-Play Shooters

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With only a year since first re-released its OG map, the Epic Games team are now announcing that it's here to stay as a permanent game-mode. While before it was limited to one week of the month per season, we're yet to see how this new mode will shake things up. As players gear up to dive back into their favorite classic adventure once again, there could be a lot more at stake than meets the eye.

This return to previous seasons isn't the first time has capitalized on nostalgia. Bringing back old loot pools, POIs, and other classic elements of the game back when it first launched, Epic Games has been consistently trying to revitalize what the game once was. But without any true new seasons and this new competition within its own game, and other free-to-play shooters might be on track to struggle down the line.

Bringing back their OG map last year allowed for a record-breaking number of players for particularly following on from an unpopular Chapter 4 that preceded it. As players yearned for the nostalgia of their favorite map for many years since its loss, it's no surprise that because of its return many older fans came back to relive their classic experiences. With the map progressively evolving over its time in play, as well as loot that matched-up with the game's launch, this all felt like a very authentic original experience.

Now as the game brings back Chapter 2 as a Remix, Epic Games is continuing to capitalize on the nostalgia of older players in the hopes they'll be making a mass return. With these beloved seasons brought to life once again, many have hopped back onto the game when otherwise they'd moved on to other fresher titles. The announcement that OG is here to stay as a permanent mode is also groundbreaking for the future of free-to-play games in general, potentially indicating something much more worrisome behind the scenes.

While many are excited for the permanence of OG and the flash-backs to their favorite seasons from Chapter 2, this need to drill