'Fortnite' Storm King challenges bring an essential battle royale evolution

Fortnite: Battle Royale players have fought against purple and blue zombies. They’ve even fought against Thanos and his monstrous hordes from Avengers: Endgame. But at long last, they’ve finally gotten the long-rumored huge raid boss battle they’ve dreamt of for years.

Introduced as part of the Fortnitemares update on Tuesday, the Storm King LTM (limited-time mode) transforms the island into a battleground where 16 players team up to fight a giant purple demon that spawns in the center of the map. Players have to defend themselves against a growing horde of the undead while dodging the Storm King’s horrifying attacks, including a giant laser that erupts right out of his gaping maw of a mouth.

Defeating lesser monsters grant players more weapons and ammo, which are essential to give you the resources needed to attack the Storm King’s weak spots when they are made available during Storm Horn phases. There are also boost pads that surround the central battleground, allowing players to move around quickly. Also remember that it’s possible to pick up downed teammates and carry them to safely, as keeping everyone alive is essential to winning.

There are also three Fortnitemares challenges that involve participating in this event, so fighting this giant demon is worth at least a few attempts. In execution, the event feels a little like the promotional battle against Thanos related to Avengers: Endgame, but this Storm King LTM feels like a prelude of better things to come in Fortnite: Battle Royale. The game needs more fundamental variation to the gameplay beyond reskins of all the same experiences.

The start of Fortnite: Battle Royale Chapter 2 was an exciting time for the game with a refreshing new map, but this Storm King LTM finally capitalizes on something fans have been interested in for almost as long as Fortnite has been around.

In the lead-up to the Fortnite rocket launch event at the end of Season 4 — which was seemingly erased from history during the Season 10 finale event — fans analyzed a few clues (mainly giant footprints around the map) that some large monster called Leviathan could emerge that players would have to face.

That Leviathan event obviously never happened, but when Season 9 introduced us to the monstrous Cattus kaiju that had been frozen under the iceberg that crashed into the island for the start of Season 7, fans wondered if Fortnite: Battle Royale might have to fight a raid boss battle.

These kinds of battles already occur in Save the World, and since Epic Games already recycles many Save the World assets into Battle Royale — mainly character models and occasionally the zombie-like monsters — it would make sense. Rather than a boss battle event to end Season 9, however, we got the epic showdown between the Cattus kaiju and Doggus giant mecha.

At long last, however, fans have a legitimate raid battle — and it could be the first of many epic battles.

Fortnitemares is now live in Fortnite, and the Storm King LTM should be around until the event ends on or around November 5.