Fortnite Reload, released on June 22, revitalized Chapter 5 and reached over a million concurrent players within the first hour.
Chapter 5 Season 3 had a rough start with the introduction of vehicle-based gameplay. Despite Fortnite’s efforts to balance this with Nitro Fists and Boogie Bombs, players were not impressed.
However, the launch of Reload mode, focused on the classic gameplay from Chapter 2, is drawing more players back to the servers.
Between all of Fortnite’s official game modes, such as Fortnite Festival, LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, Zero Build, and Battle Royale, Fortnite Reload still gained more players.
These numbers are reminiscent of when Fortnite Season OG was released at the end of Chapter 4, which saw a similar influx of players.
The new Fortnite Reload game mode brings ten squads (40 players) into a new map, redesigned from the ground up to include new and old POIs. With unlimited reboots and a sky full of Rifts, players can relive the days of Chapter 2 with a twist.
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Another incentive that has gotten players into Fortnite Reload is the different rewards being made available, including an exclusive Victory Royal Glider and multiple new sets of challenges.
Some community members have called the new mode the “rescuer” of Chapter 5 due to the general dislike for the vehicle meta, which was present in the comments underneath the post.
“See this is what happens when they don’t listen to those darn sweats! My beautiful game is finally back!! Yippee!!!” exclaimed one player on X.
“Ended all the metaverse modes in less than an hour,” added another.
Fortnite Reload will be a permanent game mode going forward, meaning players who enjoy the look and feel of OG can still enjoy it regardless of the season.