Fortnite is not the same game it was in 2017 as players compare its graphics from Chapter 1 to Chapter 5

Fortnite has changed a lot over the past 13 years since its initial conception. First beginning in 2011 as a semi-realistic tower defense zombie game, it eventually morphed into the iconic cartoon style by the time Fortnite: Save The World launched in July 2017. After not meeting expectations, and due to the rise in popularity of games such as PUBG, and H1Z1, Fortnite morphed into a Battle Royale game that propelled it to become the most popular game in the world.

Since then, we have seen the game continue to evolve, with Fortnite now serving as a tech demo for Unreal Engine, with Epic Games showing off the latest features to millions of players and developers to show what is possible. As graphics have progressed, we have seen Fortnite lose its cartoon style that made it so eye-catching and instead add a lot more realism which has seen it get lost in the shuffle and just become similar to many other games on the market today.

Prominent Fortnite leaker HYPEX has shown a comparison of Fortnite’s evolution as Epic Games has implemented more realistic visual changes as the game has progressed into new Chapters, notably when it switched to Unreal Engine 5.

In a post on X, HYPEX compared the graphics of Fortnite Chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5, showing the evolution from bright and vibrant graphics to a more realistic approach.

Do you like how Fortnite been leaning towards more realism recently?

Comparisons between CH1, CH2, CH4 & CH5 👇 pic.twitter.com/YkqCBvqwQs

— HYPEX (@HYPEX) July 14, 2024

When Fortnite first began in 2017, it was praised for its cartoon-style graphics, with a very unrealistic style that made it very appealing to a mass audience, playing a part in its overall success. Chapter 2 kept a similar vibe but improved the graphics as well as introducing ray tracing, and, in my opinion, along with Chapter 3 it was the best that the game looked as it gave a greater sense of realism while not deviating away from what made Fortnite as captivating as it did.

Chapter 4 saw Fortnite move over to Unreal Engine 5, giving Epic Games the ability to take advantage of new features such as Lumen lighting and realistic fire. The realistic look was even further brought about with Chapter 5, with many comparing it to Warzone with Fortnite graphics.

Other players took to the replies to share their thoughts, with @FocusNostalgia showing an image comparing Chapter 1 to Chapter 5 with the caption “Fortnite looked WAY better when it was cartoony,” to which HYPEX replied, “Crazy that the second image looks edited to take colors out of it but that’s actually what the game looks like now.” When looking at the image, it does look like it has been edited to look dull when compared to the vibrant style of Chapter 1. @BlackR0se777 also put it best by stating “If I wanted a BR with more realism we would still be playing PUBG.”

Fortnite looked WAY better when it was cartoony pic.twitter.com/bFl2or05Bl

— Nostalgia Focus (@FocusNostalgia) July 14, 2024

With Fortnite now serving as an Unreal Engine tech demo, we will likely continue to see the graphics change and evolve as new features are implemented and the capabilities of video games are pushed further. However, it does seem like the consensus among the community is that the older style of the game is what players would prefer it to be, and hope to see it return to this style in the future. Chapter 4 did show that the art style could still have a more realistic feel and to many was the peak of Fortnite graphics.

The good news is, if you prefer the older style of gameplay, the new Fortnite Reload mode features an older style of graphics, with many iconic Chapter 1 POIs returning including Tilted Towers and Pleasant Park. But whether you prefer the older or new style of graphics, a lot is going on in Fortnite right now, with the Pirates of the Caribbean collaboration beginning later this week to wrap up Chapter 5 Season 3. The next season is rumored to be a Marvel-themed season, and although this hasn’t been confirmed, it is expected that two iconic Marvel characters are set to return to the game for the first time since Chapter 2.