‘Fortnite’ Returns From Blackout With ‘Chapter 2’ Trailer As Gamers Exhale

Dade Hayes

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For millions players of the video game Fortnite, the withdrawal symptoms are over.

The Epic Games title, which went into a publicity-savvy “black hole” on Sunday, returned to full power Tuesday with a full-length trailer for its newest iteration. Live game play of the new chapter got under way after the trailer debut.

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“Drop into a new world,” the game’s official Twitter handle implored, ending a 36-hour period when gamers found only a dark screen after an asteroid wiped out the game’s map. The trailer has no dialogue or voiceover, but displays the game’s latest environment.

The game’s first chapter consisted of 10 seasons. The second chapter brings back many familiar elements, with a new emphasis on adventure and the outdoors.

Epic has made billions from Fortnite, which is free to play but requires steady investments by players in “V-bucks,” which can be used to pay for weapons, “skins” and other in-game goods. The game’s popularity is such that live-stream platform Twitch had been pulling in tens of thousands of viewers who were staring at the black hole image on Sunday and Monday, pining for the return of Fortnite. Social media had been teeming with GIFs and laments from players suddenly deprived of their fix.

Last spring, Epic staged the first Fortnite World Cup in Queens, NY, awarding $30 million in prize money.

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