It is pretty hard to imagine a world without Fortnite, isn’t it? But it turns out that if former Epic Games director Rod Fergusson had stuck around, the world might have been very different indeed. According to Fergusson, had he still been in charge later than he was, it is possible that Fortnite never would have been completed.
The Former Epic Games Director Would’ve Killed Fortnite
While chatting with Game Informer, Rod Fergusson was none too impressed with Fortnite when it was under development and he was still the Epic Games director. In fact, he actually tried to stop it from moving forward.
Fergusson said the game “would not have passed bar” by his standards. He explained, “Before I left, I tried to cancel Fortnite. When it was Save the World… that was a project that had some challenges. And as the director of production at the time, that game would not have passed my bar for something we should continue to keep going… So when people look at me and say ‘don’t you feel bad [that you left before the game succeeded]?’ I say no, you should feel really good, because that game you love – that worldwide sensation – would not exist had I stayed at Epic.”
It is rare to get such a frank assessment of a short-sighted decision by someone in the industry. It just goes to show that sometimes it can be really hard to tell what the next big thing could be, and what is worth pursuing. It makes you wonder what Epic would have worked on instead had Fergusson successfully cancelled Fortnite.
So given that he was dead wrong about Fortnite, how does Fergusson feel about what the game has achieved since? He does say that he “doesn’t lose sleep” regarding his decision. But he is “supper happy” for the success of the team with the game.
There are signs that Fortnite’s popularity has been waning. Nonetheless, the game holds pretty strong. And some decline is expected, given that Fortnite is no longer the hot new sensation. Want to make sure you don’t miss out on any Fortnite news? Be sure and check our Fortnite news section regularly. While the game has been around for a while now, the creative team over at Epic continues to innovate fresh experiences for the Fortnite player base!