After 9 Years, Fortnite’s Paid Survival Mode is Finally Going Free-to-Play

Before the Battle Royale mode that’s made Fortnite so popular, it was quite a different game. When it launched in 2017, Fortnite‘s first game mode was a PvE zombie survival game. After additional game modes arrived, this version of Fortnite became known as Fortnite: Save the World. And unlike Battle Royale and LEGO Fortnite, this game mode has always come with a pricetag attached. Now, Epic Games has confirmed plans to shift Save the World to a free-to-play model at long last. And it’s coming alongside the game’s launch on Switch 2.

After 9 years of premium paid access, Epic Games has confirmed that Fortnite: Save the World will join many of the game’s other modes as a free-to-play title. The change will happen on April 16th, giving current fans just around a month before a likely influx of new players. Alongside the shift to a free-to-play model, Fortnite: Save the World will launch on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Fortnite: Save the World Will Be Free Starting This April

Fortnite: Save the World is the original Fortnite experience. Like other game modes, it features building forts, crafting weapons, and hoarding loot. But rather than the PvP free-for-all that is Battle Royale, this game mode is a co-op survival game where you work together to fend off zombie hordes and clear challenging zones full of loot and upgrades.

Previously, this game mode has been available by purchasing special Save the World packs in the Fortnite shop. These bundles include permanent access to the game mode and typically cost around $15-20 USD. Along with Save the World access, they often come with other items like skins and special V-Bucks challenges.

But after years of saying the game mode would eventually be free-to-play, Epic Games is finally ready to make the shift. Starting April 16th, you’ll be able to play Save the World for free. The game will be free on all of its current platforms and will also launch on the Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time. Given that Save the World has never been available on the original Switch, this marks the game’s first transition to the Nintendo family of consoles.

Read Next

Fortnite V-Bucks Are Increasing in Price Very Soon

Like many free-to-play launches, Epic Games is currently running a pre-registration campaign for Fortnite: Save the World. By hitting community milestones, players will unlock free in-game rewards when the game officially launches in its free-to-play form on April 16th. So far, those pre-registrations are off to a slow start, with just 4% of the 300,000 registered players milestone unlocked.

Interestingly, this news comes just about a day after Epic Games confirmed that Fortnite‘s in-game currency, V-Bucks, will increase in price. So while Fortnite fans will be able to access more game modes for free, in-game purchases are also going to be a bit pricier than before.

Do you play Save the World already? Will you try it out when it goes free-to-play? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!