Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5 breaks all-time concurrent player count, proves how beloved the OG days were

Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5 has not just broken the all-time concurrent player count, but has shattered it, and has likely created a record as well. Ever since Epic Games granted access to the game's metrics earlier this year, this is the highest surge in players that has ever been witnessed. The last time there was such an influx of players was during the release of Chapter 4 Season 4 in August 25, 2023.

The number of concurrent players peaked at 2,817,867 when the previous season went live. Given that in Chapter 4 season 3 there was drastic fall in the playerbase, this was huge in terms of growth. Many believed that Epic Games had once again pulled a proverbial rabbit out of their hat and reached new heights. However, this was but a small step up the ladder and forward in the right direction.

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Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5 concurrent player count reaches nearly six million

Following the downtime for the update v27.00 (Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5) ending at 9:02 AM Eastern Time on November 3, 2023, the servers all but collapsed. Players began reporting waiting times of upwards of 25 minutes and some were even booted from the game.

This was accredited to the surge of players that were flocking to experience OG Fortnite, but no one could imagine just how many. According to the initial statistics, within minutes of the servers going live, over 1,500,000 players were online. Within half an hour, that number grew to surpass 3,000,000. By this point, it had broken its previous concurrent player count, and things were just getting started.

By the time the servers had stabilized to an extent and players across the world were able to log in, the game's metrics shattered all expectations. According to the data obtained by Fortnite.GG, the concurrent player count stood at 5,888,686 at around 4:30 PM Eastern Time.

These figures are also taking into account that many players were stuck at the Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5 waiting in queue screen.

It's safe to say that Epic Games has hit gold by bringing back the OG days of the Metaverse and it shows. Here are a few comments from fans and players talking about the same:

Some fans were so excited about the return of OG Fortnite that they seemingly took the day off from work to hot-drop into Named Locations.

Seeing the comments, it is pretty evident that OG Fortnite appeals to players of all ages. Keeping the nostalgia aside, this time period in-game was what set the wheels in motion for everything that has happened thus far. Although the timeline will likely be reset at the end of Chapter 4 Season 5 (OG), the memories will remain forever.

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"Why don’t they just leave the OG map in permanently?"

Speaking of memories, many players question why Epic Games can not just leave things as they are. Given the fact that the concurrent player count was broken twice in the span of a few hours, the question is rather hard hitting.

While having the OG graphics and map feature in-game forever does sound like a concrete plan, it is not viable. The only reason why Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5 is so successful is because it returns to the game's roots - to simpler times. It gives older players this feeling of nostalgia, but not everyone will be able to connect with it.

For this reason, it will only last for a month and will conclude with a live event - a grand send off of sorts. Of course, OG players and fans are not happy about this, but given how far the Unreal Engine has come, Epic Games will want to revert to more modern graphics.

With competitors everywhere, staying ahead of the curve is of the utmost importance and Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 will be a way to showcase that.

The current version Unreal Engine that is in use will likely be updated to feature more realism in-game to attract newer players. This will be an ongoing process that will continue for years to come. For this reason, while the past may be nostalgic, the future will have to be embraced, but for now, the good old days are here and should be enjoyed to the maximum.