Fortnite's The Simpsons Season Is One Of The Best In Ages— Are 4...

Fortnite's The Simpsons mini-season is an undeniable success.

Average player numbers for November are the highest since March but, more importantly, Fortnite is fun again. The tone in the game's subreddit has shifted from the gloom of Chapter 6 Season 4 to optimism: some are praising this as one of Fortnite's best-ever seasons, others are hoping Epic might extend it.

And it's not nostalgia for The Simpsons. That certainly helped—it's one of the few TV shows that spans generations—but more important are the balanced loot pool with plenty of powerful weapons, a fully themed map overflowing with easter eggs, cartoonish overblown mechanics (a revolver than attaches a floaty balloon to players being the standout), lots of movement items and a smaller map, helping trim the mid-round lull you often get in Battle Royale.

It's a huge contrast to the recent Star Wars mini-season, which dropped a few themed locations on a big, existing map and whose signature weapons—lightsabers—were underwhelming.

As I write this, Epic hasn't hinted at The Simpsons remaining past November although I can see them popping up in Blitz, the game's five-minute mode, whose star has dwindled after its electric start. Instead, the new Chapter 7 is set to replace The Simpsons on November 29, with leaks pointing to a West-Coast theme of Hollywood films and Las Vegas casinos.

So what can Epic learn from The Simpsons' success, both for the upcoming chapter and for future mini-seasons?

It's crucial that the map needs to match the theme.

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The end of Chapter 6 Season 4 was a jumble of military outposts, Japanese villas and Star Wars bases lingering like a wookie's bad smell. The Simpsons map was fully on brand. You could jump on the family sofa to re-enact the show's opening credits and listen to Bart's prank calls at phone booths. Even Spider-Pig's dirty hoof prints were in the right place.

These details aren't frivolous—they're essential for creating a sense of place, for making you feel like the designers care about the little things. It makes you want to spend time in it. Chapter 7 seems well-placed for a committed follow-up: if Epic leans into a movie theme you can imagine a different film for each POI, with famous scenes recreated and inside jokes retold, and an overarching Hollywood glamor tying it all together.

Source: PC Gamer