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1 entry of 164 involving Tim Sweeney

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2010-2019 The 2010s

Fortnite makes free battle royale a social space

Epic Games added a free battle royale mode to an existing survival game, then layered on building, cross-platform play and cosmetic purchases. In-game concerts and events turned it into a hangout for young players.

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Period
The 2010s

Why it matters

A game became a general-purpose social venue, hosting concerts, premieres and conversation for an audience that treated it as a meeting place. Free access funded by cosmetics, combined with shared accounts across every device, became the dominant commercial shape of large multiplayer games.

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