Fortnite game modes explained in 2025: Battle Royale, OG & more

Fortnite grew in prominence after its Battle Royale mode, but there’s so much more the game has to offer. From massive fan projects to curated experiences from giants like LEGO and Psyonix (Rocket League), Fortnite’s game modes let you interact with the game on your terms. 

Epic Games has experimented with everything from dancing to survival crafting, meaning there’s much to sort through. If it’s been a while since you’ve hopped into Fortnite, we’ve got a detailed primer on all the Fortnite modes you can check out right now.

We’ve focused on the game modes that Epic Games keeps around outside seasonal events and crossovers like the recent The Walking Dead Islands. We’ve also highlighted some Creator-Made experiences that are worth checking out outside the official modes. And with that, let’s get to Epic Games’ Fortnite modes.

10 core game modes make up the Fortnite experience. For the sake of brevity, we’ve considered Creator-Made experiences under the Creative umbrella. Here’s a short description of the modes you should try out after Fortnite Battle Royale:

Now that you know there’s more to the game than hopping off the Fortnite battle bus into a Battle Royale match, we’ve gone ahead and covered every mode in great detail. 

While some collabs like the recent one with Star Wars can affect several modes, smaller ones don’t change Fortnite seasons and their battle passes. Let’s start with the game mode that turned Fortnite into a cultural phenomenon: Battle Royale.

For a long time, asking someone to play Fortnite meant diving into a Battle Royale match. In addition to scavenging weapons and working towards being the last player standing in a shrinking map, the mode is also a great way to show off the Fortnite skins you’ve earned or purchased. With each season bringing in new weapons and regions, there’s always something to look forward to when you return.  

Zero Build streamlines the Battle Royale experience and changes how players approach Fortnite by doing away with building structures. You can’t create cover on the fly, so map awareness becomes crucial. While that might push some players out of their comfort zone, others are glad they can focus on combat and get the drop on unsuspecting foes.

Fortnite’s first mode, Save the World, was designed as a PvE experience against enemies like Mist Monsters, Husks, and bosses like the Storm King. You’d grow in power as you rescued survivors, obtained resources, and crafted gear to expand Storm Shields across the in-game map. While it is a great way to earn Battle Pass XP, its lower player count makes Save the World less enticing for new players than Fortnite Battle Royale.

As Fortnite became popular, creators flocked to its sandbox Creative mode to create various experiences. There’s a lot to check out, from fan games that earned widespread acclaim to smaller minigames that reel newcomers in. If you like experimenting with gameplay mechanics, Creative mode will keep your attention for a long time. Drop by Party Royale’s festival grounds for concerts and livestreams of events if you’re into shared experiences that involve music and vibing to your heart’s content with friends.

Fortnite OG is a throwback to an older time with the first-ever appearance of the Fortnite island. Get your hands on iconic weapons and visit locations from the first-ever Fortnite season. If you’ve been itching to relive those days with a tinge of nostalgia, this mode is the perfect fit. While it might not be as competitive as the default Battle Royale mode, it’s worth visiting if you’re curious how the Fortnite gameplay loop has evolved over the years.

Reload’s core mechanic is the Reboot Rift system, which can revive you even if eliminated. This squad-focused Battle Royale variant lets you revive allies as long as a single squadmate remains alive. Matches follow the same loop in a smaller map until the endgame, where Reboots are disabled. It’s a forgiving variant that you can also experience with Zero Build.

With the rise of competitive FPS games like Counter-Strike 2 and VALORANT, Epic Games decided to try their hand at a punishing genre that demands precision and teamwork to succeed. Fortnite Ballistic’s tense PvP shootouts might not set the genre on fire, but it’s a tactical shooter worth checking out. A Ranked variant ups the stakes with matchmaking based on the average Fortnite ranks of your party. Read up on how it compares to the competition. 

Think of Fortnite Festival as Guitar Hero reborn. This rhythm game lets you team up with friends and take up roles like lead singer and drummer as you perform hits from established artists like Lady Gaga and The Weeknd. These roles involve mastering unique patterns and nailing button prompts as they appear onscreen.

LEGO’s collaboration with Fortnite has given players two expansive game modes so far: Odyssey and Brick Life. Odyssey tempts survival crafting fans with a massive sandbox with resources scattered across procedurally generated areas. Building your own village with seven friends is an engrossing experience, but if you prefer social roleplaying, Brick Life is your mode. From getting a job and designing your home and lifestyle to meeting up with friends, you get to approach the game the way you want. 

Racing fans will find themselves drawn to Rocket Racing. While speeding past opponents is the main goal of this mode in Fortnite, you’ll have to weave past obstacles and even change tracks to stay in the lead. Rocket Racing also features a detailed car customisation feature, letting you show off your taste in cars on the race track.

Community maps are a treasure trove of ideas that might just be your next obsession. Squid Game-inspired Octo Game 2 from Sundaycw is a major highlight, with Lights Out battles, the Glass Bridge, and other faithful recreations from the show. Other creations that impressed us include FNCC_Lab’s Uno-like Card Chaos, the deathruns of Dino Run! from subcloning, and the zombie hordes of SvenP’s Zombienite. Many of these maps let you hop in with friends, too.

Fortnite has grown beyond the confines of a single game or genre thanks to its comprehensive game modes. From grinding Fortnite battle passes that drop unique rewards to permanent fixtures like LEGO’s collaborations, you’ll always have something new to experience in-game. Every new update is an invitation to download Fortnite again, and few games manage to keep events enticing over several years. It’s a testament to the enduring legacy that Epic Games continues to foster. Now that you’ve got the lay of the land, which Fortnite mode are you trying first?