Why is Fortnite called Fortnite? Name Meaning Explained

Fortnite is one of the most popular names in video games of all time, with millions of players logging in daily. And speaking of names, you might wonder why is Fortnite called Fortnite? It’s a combination of two things that this battle royale game was originally based on.

We know why Overwatch is called Overwatch (it’s a task force tasked with maintaining global peace) and why Apex Legends is called Apex Legends (the winning characters a.k.a Legends become the Apex Champions). Now, take a look at how Fortnite got its name and the meaning behind it.

Why did they call Fortnite Fortnite?

The exact reason behind the name “Fortnite” isn’t officially confirmed by Epic Games. However, it’s widely known that the name is a creative combination of two key aspects of the game’s original concept. It combines two elements of gameplay – Forts and Night.

Building forts is a base mechanic to help you defend yourself, or attack strategically. When you gather enough resources, you will be able to construct forts and this forms the first part of the name.

In the original Save the World mode, players built forts during the day to defend themselves from hordes of enemies that aggressively attacked at night. These night-time battles formed the core of the game at that time, which is why the word ‘nite’ is featured in its name.

Why is Fortnite spelled that way?

It is a pun/wordplay on the word Fortnight which is what the original version of the game was based on. When the game was ‘Save the World’, the concept was to defend against zombies for 14 days and nights (or two weeks), which is ‘fortnight’ in British English.

Since the game is now a Battle Royale title, the name ‘Fortnite’ has slightly lost its meaning. However, despite the evolution, it is not entirely meaningless and has roots in its original gameplay.

Now that you know why Fortnite is named so, know more about how old this game is, how to play it on your School Chromebook and how to gift V-Bucks to your friends.