Is Fortnite still early access in 2021? Everything players need to know

Fortnite fans have always wondered if their favorite game will ever come out of the 'Early Access' period. Since its release, Fortnite: Save the World and Battle Royale mode have both received tons of upgrades, new seasons, cosmetics and lots more.

Fortnite released Save the World mode as a paid, early-access feature and that has stuck ever since. However, Fortnite Battle Royale is free to play from the beginning. The early access legacy title stuck around for a very long time, as games which continuously receive updates are never considered finished. For example, most games that are released in their final form, do not receive monthly upgrades from the developers. There may have been a few DLC releases (paid or free) over the years, but nothing will majorly change inside the game.

When did Fortnite stop being an "early access" title?

Image via Epic Games

Since Epic keeps upgrading Fortnite, it technically was never 'finished.' This was until Epic decided to stop any more updates for Save the World mode. On June 2020, Epic announced that Fortnite: Save the World will stop receiving updates and will remain in pay-to-play mode in the future.

"Today we’re bringing Save the World out of Early Access and have decided that it will remain a premium experience rather than going free-to-play. Development of new content will slow down after this official release."

On that day, the legacy title "early access" was lifted off Fortnite. Epic also confirmed back then that future cosmetics from Fortnite Battle Royale will not work in Save the World mode. However, players can still enjoy their existing inventory in the co-op experience.

However, Fortnite Battle Royale went on to become a free-to-play title of its own and is one of the most popular Battle Royale games on the planet. Considering Epic has been collaborating with the biggest highlights of popular culture, this title will continue to impress its fans in the near future.