It’s been five whole years since Epic Games released the first version of Fortnite—maybe it seems longer. About time, then, that it added a tutorial map in the PC and console versions of the game. So rejoice, newcomers: You finally, in theory at least, get a chance to learn how to play Fortnite before being slaughtered by the kids who’ve been playing it since the start. The developers quietly added the PC tutorial on October 31, and then rolled it out for other consoles the next day.
The tutorial mode looks fairly basic, imparting new players with knowledge of essential actions such as “move,” “jump,” “crouch,” and “break items.” It also gives you some breathing space to shoot at targets without being mauled by human foes. Most crucially, it teaches you how to build things—a feature in Fortnite that I’ve always found to be mysterious. I’m into it. This tutorial mode actually makes Fortnite seem approachable, rather than simply being a pandemonium of chaos in which you could be headshotted by Sasuke Uchiha at any time. You can access the tutorial mode by going to the “From Epic” section of the “Discovery” screen.
Longtime Fortnite fans note that this tutorial has previously been available on the mobile version of the game, so it’s entirely possible that the developers simply didn’t think that Fortnite’s more “hardcore” console and PC players needed a tutorial. Try telling that to players who got thrown to the Fortnite wolves in the pre-tutorial era, though.
To be clear: I’m not making fun of people who need tutorials in their video games. I just think it’s very funny that the developers decided that the console and PC versions of Fortnite needed a tutorial five years after launch. While the game remained tutorial-less, players have been creating their own Creative Mode tutorial maps and YouTube videos for Fortnite newcomers. But hopefully, this update reduces the number of newcomers who are dying without ever having fired a single shot.