It's officially the end of an era for Fortnite

Fortnite Save the world has officially gone free-to-play, marking the end of an era. Players have had to pay to play Fortnite Save the World since its early access release in 2017, and now, for the first time, they can jump in and give the survival game a try completely free.

Fortnite Save the world is a PvE co-op survival game, and was originally intended to be the primary game mode. But the enormous popularity of Fortnites Battle Royale game mode meant that Epic's priorities changed, such as Save the World pushed further into the background. The original plan was for Fortnite Save the world to go free-to-play back in 2018, but this was shelved in favor of a paid release in 2020. Now, nearly nine years after its early access launch, it has finally fulfilled that plan.

An important image from Fortnite showing several characters

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Fortnite Save the World is officially free to play

In an Epic Games forum post, the developer confirmed that on April 16, 2026, Fortnite Save the world is officially free to play on all platforms. The move coincides with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 version, which occurred on the same day. Epic Games was announced first Fortnite Save the world's free-to-play shift in March, giving fans an update they've been asking for for years. According to the developer, players who pre-registered on the Save the World site before April 16 will have access to all community rewards, while anyone who previously paid for the game “will also receive Superchargers, Vouchers and Gold to keep the fight going.”

The update has made one more significant change Fortnite Save the World's Homebase, turning it into a “fully explorable space that grows along with your Save the World journey.” Players can move between two floors, where they will be able to “find familiar characters and locations inspired by the classic menus, with the atmosphere changing as you unlock features and progress.” There are also some Fortnite Save the World Twitch Drop rewards available to earn until April 21st.

how to get XP in Fortnite Save the World

To celebrate Save the World going free-to-play, Epic Games is hosting a crossover event between its survival game mode and Battle Royale until June 5. Players who earn 350,000 XP during the Save the World event can unlock the Jess Outfit for their lockers. Only XP earned from playing Fortnite Saving the world counts towards this progress. Meanwhile, Jess and Penny can be found in Battle Royale as quest givers, with exclusive rewards available to those who complete their quests throughout the event.

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It hasn't all been good news at Epic Games and Fortnite in recent times. The developer recently laid off over 1,000 employees due to a decline in engagement for Fortnite. As a result, it also confirmed that three Fortnite Game Modes Discontinued: Rocket Racing, Ballistic and Festival Battle Stage. Rocket Racing will remain active until October 2026, while both Ballistic and the Festival Battle Stage were taken offline as part of the Save the World free-to-play update.