Popular shooter game "Battle Royale: Fortnite" recently made the leap to mobile devices. While this transition makes sense from a business standpoint, Schools are finding themselves overwhelmed with the surge of students playing the game in class.
While schools have long banned the use of phones in class, "Fortnite" is an addictive and competitive shooter that will not be ignored. It’s not just teachers who are fed up, it seems the students are as well.
What is 'Fortnite' again?
You would be forgiven for not knowing where the sudden rise of battle royale games started.
The first major success in the genre was "Player Unknown's Battle Grounds" (otherwise known as "PUBG"). A completely different game, called "Fortnite," jumped on this train and decided to provide their own battle royale mode with unique features, absolutely free.
Needless to say, the people behind "PUBG" weren't happy, but there wasn't much they could do about it. Meanwhile, "Fortnite" has become a huge success with players spending money on in-game purchases. In the game, 100 players are dropped into a large map with nothing but the clothes on their back.
They must scavenge weapons and materials to mount a defense. The goal is to be the last one standing when all the other players have fallen.
It's a simple, but powerful formula that has captivated the mainstream gaming scene. Now that it's available on the go, schools are feeling the effects.
Students and teachers are tired of 'Fortnite'
There's a long history of kids using their phones in class, but "Fortnite" is a special situation. The online multiplayer shooter has been blamed for widespread Wi-Fi problems as students using huge amounts of bandwidth.
Schools are trying to ban it, with mixed results. Teachers are taking things into their own hands.
When kids play #fortnitemobile in class. #notupinhere pic.twitter.com/tbQv3P2bmw
— Coach Fisher (@FZN_Fisher) March 21, 2018
Plenty of students are playing, but others are taking to Twitter to complain about how it's disrupting their daily school lives.
Some students have even reported fights breaking out over things that happened in the game. Teachers are also complaining about this new distraction in their classrooms.
There's no denying the success of this free-to-play battle royale shooter, but the mobile release has clearly come with its own challenges for teachers and students alike. Players are still discovering new things, which fans the flames.
If you're interested in finding out what all the fuss is about, you can learn how to sign-up for an invite to the game. With PUBG also releasing a mobile version of their game, it's clear that this problem isn't going to go away anytime soon. Schools will need to find a way to curb the addictive nature of "Fortnite" mobile, so students and teachers can get back to work.