Fortnite's The Big Bang event was a blast of marketing for the game's multi-genre future

Tonight’s Fortnite live event – the first in almost a year – was an eye-popping rollercoaster ride for those lucky enough to see it. After a throwback season based on the game’s original map, it was perhaps fitting that The Big Bang also saw the return of Fortnite’s old capacity issues – as more than 10 million players reportedly swamped the game’s servers, while many millions more were left to watch the event online.

In-game, as the event’s countdown timer hit zero above Dusty Divot, players were initially treated to an abbreviated version of the game’s original The End event, with its apocalyptic meteor causing the Island to get sucked into a black hole once again (although, Epic has already confirmed, the OG map will emerge just okay due to public demand in 2024).

With the battle royale Island beyond Epic’s event horizon, players next witnessed the birth of three major new Fortnite modes due to make a proper debut in the coming week: Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival.

Fortnite seamlessly toured each of these offerings, represented as their own mini galaxies in a universe of Fortnite experiences. Players zoomed into the world of Lego for an aerial tour of what looks to be a Minecraft-inspired survival and building game where you play as Lego minifigures.