Attention parents: a review of Fortnite for you

Fortnite is a game developed by Epic Games, designed for players of all ages. Moreover, it is an entire gaming hub that combines numerous different modes. Not only the official Save the World, Battle Royale, LEGO Fortnite, and Festival, but also countless maps created by the players themselves.

The shooter remains one of the most popular games on Earth to this day, with an average online count of 25 million people. The title is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, and Android.

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The essence of the main Battle Royale mode is to survive in combat with other players while being surrounded by a devastating storm. Over time, the storm gradually shrinks, limiting the map and naturally bringing the participants closer together. Players can use both firearms and other weapons to defeat each other. Players gather weapons, items, and resources anew during each session.

What can my child spend money on?

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A feature of Fortnite that sets it apart from all other projects is the unique number of collaborations with numerous companies worldwide, allowing characters from Marvel, anime heroes, top athletes, and Hollywood's best actors to coexist in one game simultaneously.

These so-called outfits are part of the cosmetic item system, which do not affect gameplay but add individuality to each player. Items are sold in a special section — the store. The average price for an outfit is about 1,500 V-bucks (the in-game currency of Fortnite, which is purchased with real money). At the current exchange rate, this is $11.99 USD.

In addition to outfits, the shooter includes other cosmetic items: weapon and vehicle wraps, gliders, pickaxes, and landing effects. However, the shooter is best known for its emotes. Among the emotes, dances play an important role, allowing players to entertain themselves in the lobby before the game starts.

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Approximately every three months, Battle Passes are updated in Fortnite. They represent sets of items that users can exchange for experience points earned during the season, in return for rewards. There are two versions of the Battle Pass:

Most often, your children will ask for money specifically for the Battle Pass, as items in the store are much more expensive, even though the selection there is richer.

Players can also purchase a Fortnite Crew subscription for a monthly fee, which gives the gamer a Battle Pass for the entire season and other additional items and features.

Don’t hesitate to have an honest conversation with your child about responsible in-game spending. Discuss any restrictions and permissions you plan to set when it comes to spending real money on the shooter. Carefully monitor your credit card and avoid linking it permanently.

Different modes and experiences

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Battle Royale is friendly to any type of player: those who want to relax and have fun, and those seeking real challenges. Special settings allow choosing modes solo, duo, trio, squad, etc., as well as the type of game with or without building.

Each mode and each cosmetic element comes with an age restriction, so you can prevent instances where an eight-year-old child plays as the Alien from Ridley Scott's classic film. However, Epic Games staff understand the irony of the situation and do not make the character too scary. The famous scene of the Alien's birth by tearing open a ribcage is humorously reimagined as a funny piñata llama looking around puzzled.

Battle Royale remains the main mode with a PEGI 12 age rating, but don’t forget about other modes: LEGO, Rocket Racing, and Festival.

😏 LEGO Fortnite is an arcade survival simulator, gameplay-wise similar to Minecraft. Players, either solo or in teams of two, three, or four, find themselves on an island where they need to set up their home, configure a resource production factory, fight monsters, interact with iconic characters from the Fortnite multiverse, and much more. Overall, this mode is the most friendly to young players, with an age restriction of only PEGI 7. However, purchases are more expensive, as entire sets of buildings and environments are sold instead of skins.

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🚙 Rocket Racing is an arcade race designed for 12 people. Easy car controls, similar to Mario Kart, provide enjoyment for the whole family. Here, you can overcome obstacles, overtake other players, and buy new cars. It’s a wonderful mode where everyone can find something for themselves. Especially children — the age restriction is set at only PEGI 3 for a reason.

🎉 Festival is a musical mode with the ability to play your favorite tracks on various musical instruments, similar to the old Guitar Hero. Many tracks are, accordingly, paid.

Age-related features

The cartoon style of Fortnite ensures the absence of visible blood and violence. Damage is represented by numbers and decreasing health bars. Players disappear in blue light when defeated. On the radio, they cannot hear profanity or suggestive expressions in song lyrics due to censorship, but they may hear metaphors for it.

The danger lies not in the game itself, but in real life, as always. It is highly likely that your child will play with other gamers online, including users they only know from the internet.

Players have the ability to interact and communicate directly with each other, using either the in-game text chat or voice chat. One of the risks associated with spending time with other users is that they may hear offensive language. Users may say various hurtful things.

Another possible risk is that your child may interact with other players whom they only know online, and not every gamer may be who they claim to be.

How can I support my child?

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It is important to remember that games like Fortnite cannot be paused. While it is important to set limits and expectations regarding screen time, asking to pause or end a match can be very stressful for them. Talk about how much time can be spent in the shooter and be consistent with these expectations.

Also discuss what to do if they encounter toxic gamers. Familiarize yourself with the block and report features in Fortnite and remind them to talk to adults if another player is harassing them.

If a player is reported but the complaint is not handled effectively, you can report it in the "Report Malicious Content" section. Communicate openly with your child about interacting with users online whom they only know there.

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Explain that they should talk to adults if a friend asks for too much personal information: photos or videos with themselves, moving the conversation to another platform, such as WhatsApp, or meeting in person.

Use parental controls.

Parental controls allow you to:

If you still decide that the game is not suitable for your child, it is important to have an open conversation with them about why you came to that decision so they do not feel that the restriction will be permanent.

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