After nearly a decade behind a paywall, Fortnite: Save the World is officially free-to-play. Epic Games flipped the switch on 16 April 2026, opening up the co-op PvE mode that originally launched Fortnite back in 2017, and throwing in a free skin, crossover quests with Battle Royale, and, for the first time, native support on Nintendo Switch 2.

The wait is officially over, it’s time to take the world back.

Discover the game that started it all as you build, loot, and defend against monster hordes. Play solo or squad up, craft powerful gear, and level up your Heroes. Save the World is now Free-to-Play!… pic.twitter.com/9x7SJrCA7j

— Fortnite (@Fortnite) April 16, 2026

Save the World now sits alongside Battle Royale, Zero Build, and the rest of Fortnite’s main modes in the Discovery section of the lobby, available to every Fortnite player at no cost.

What Save The World Actually Is

For anyone who only knows Fortnite as the battle royale phenomenon, Save the World is the game’s original identity. It’s a co-op survival shooter where up to four players take on objective-based missions across destructible open-world maps, building forts, setting traps, and fighting off waves of monsters called Husks.

Players pick from four hero classes, Soldiers, Constructors, Ninjas, and Outlanders, each with their own playstyle. The loop mixes scavenging, crafting, base-building, and combat, with a progression system that rewards levelling up heroes and weapon schematics over time.

It’s a very different game from Battle Royale, closer in spirit to tower defence mashed with a looter-shooter, and it predates the 100-player format that made Fortnite a household name.

How To Claim The Free Skin And Crossover Rewards

To celebrate the free-to-play move, Epic has rolled out a set of crossover quests that link Save the World with Battle Royale, and a handful of rewards up for grabs in both modes.

On the Battle Royale side, players can find the Jess NPC on the island and start a quest chain. Completing three of her quests unlocks the ability to purchase the Super Shredder weapon from her, limited to one per match. Finish 12 of her quests and the Super Shredder schematic becomes available to use in Save the World itself.

The headline reward is the Jess skin, which unlocks after earning 350,000 XP in Save the World. It’s usable across all of Fortnite once unlocked, so even players who only dabble in the PvE mode can carry the cosmetic back into Battle Royale.

Existing and returning Save the World players aren’t left empty-handed either. Epic is handing out thank-you rewards including superchargers, vouchers, and gold to long-time players on the same day the mode went free.

Save The World Platform Availability

The free-to-play launch has also brought Save the World to Nintendo Switch 2, marking the first time the mode has been playable on a Nintendo platform. That’s a notable addition given Save the World’s long-standing absence from the Switch family of systems.

Not every platform made the cut, though. The mode remains unavailable on the original Nintendo Switch, mobile devices, and cloud streaming services. Epic hasn’t indicated any plans to bring Save the World to those platforms, and re-engineering the mode for them would be a significant undertaking.

Here’s the full platform breakdown at launch:

From $40 Flop To Free Mode

Save the World’s journey to free-to-play is a strange one. When Fortnite launched in July 2017, Save the World was the entire game, sold at a $40 price tag with an early access label. Sales were disappointing, and Epic pivoted fast, building a free battle royale mode on top of the same tech in a matter of weeks. That spin-off exploded, eclipsed its parent mode within months, and turned Fortnite into the cultural juggernaut and de facto metaverse it is today.

Save the World, meanwhile, stayed paid, and over the years faded into the background. It kept a committed player base, particularly among those who used it to grind battle pass XP, but it rarely made headlines and received limited content updates compared to Battle Royale’s relentless release cadence.

Dropping the paywall nine years later effectively reframes the mode as a side offering bundled into the free Fortnite ecosystem, rather than a standalone product that has to justify its price tag.

The Bigger Question: What Happens Next

The move opens Save the World up to the biggest audience it’s ever had, but the future of the mode is less clear. Epic conducted major layoffs in March, and maintaining Save the World, let alone expanding it with new story missions, maps, or major features, is resource-intensive work on an ageing codebase.

Whether Epic invests in new content will likely hinge on how many of Fortnite’s hundreds of millions of players actually stick with Save the World now that there’s no cost barrier. A sustained wave of new players could justify fresh development. A quick spike followed by drop-off probably won’t.

For now, the door is open. Anyone with Fortnite installed can boot up Save the World, pick a hero class, and find out whether the mode that started it all still has a place in 2026.

The post Fortnite Save the World Is Now Free With a Free Skin to Boot After Nine Years appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

A Massive Month for World of Warcraft Esports

World of Warcraft fans are in for a huge November, with Blizzard officially kicking off the Arena World Championship and Mythic Dungeon International Grand Finals. After an intense Season 3 in The War Within expansion, both tournaments are ready to crown their champions, celebrate the world’s top players, and set the stage for a big return to BlizzCon in 2026.

Where Legends Are Made🏆

The AWC & MDI Finals return to #BlizzCon2026 pic.twitter.com/SJhAQ1nHVF

— WoW Esports (@WoWEsports) November 13, 2025

Blizzard also shared a new promo video describing the next BlizzCon as a place of competition, celebration and home, teasing an even bigger stage for WoW esports next year.

Arena World Championship Grand Finals

When and Where to Watch

The AWC Grand Finals run from November 14 to 16, starting at 10 a.m. PST, streamed live on the official Warcraft Twitch and YouTube channels. After weeks of group stages and cups, it all comes down to one last gauntlet and the final regional showdown.

Format and Prize Pool

Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

The AWC kicks off with a single elimination gauntlet, where gladiator teams battle for the final spot in the Grand Finals bracket. Once inside, the tournament shifts to a double elimination format, giving each team a chance to fight their way back even after a loss.
Teams will be competing for the championship title and a share of the 220,000 USD prize pool.

Casters, Analysts and Drops

The AWC broadcast features on-air talent Eiya, Supatease, Venruki and Ziqo, joined by guest analysts Azael and Dmachine.
Fans tuning in can also claim the Ensemble: Violet Sweatsuit transmog set through Twitch Drops during the weekend.

Updated brackets and team lists can be viewed at Raider.IO, and Blizzard has opened co-streaming applications for creators who want to host the event.

Mythic Dungeon International Global Finals

Dates and Streams

One week after the PvP action wraps up, the MDI Global Finals take centre stage from November 21 to 23, starting at 9.45 a.m. PST. Coverage will also be streamed on the Warcraft Twitch and YouTube channels.

Format and Prize Pool

The event features eight of the world’s strongest PvE teams, racing to push the highest mythic keystone levels under the keystone pushing format.
With a massive 300,000 USD prize pool and the title of world champion on the line, expect some of the fastest and cleanest dungeon runs of the year.

Broadcast Team and Viewer Rewards

The MDI broadcast team includes Dratnos, Meeix, Naguura, Rookuri, Tettles and Xyronic.
Viewers can unlock the same Violet Sweatsuit transmog set by watching, available as Twitch Drops throughout the event.

The full list of qualified teams is available on Raider.IO.

A Huge Finish to The War Within Season 3

Both the AWC and MDI Grand Finals mark the end of a packed esports season for World of Warcraft, bringing together the best players across PvP and PvE. With Blizzard confirming that both tournaments will return to BlizzCon 2026, fans can look forward to an even more electrifying esports presence at the event.

Whether you’re tuning in for arena brawls or high-stakes dungeon runs, this month delivers some of the biggest moments in WoW esports all year.

The post WoW Esports Heats Up This Month as AWC and MDI Grand Finals Go Live, Returning to BlizzCon in 2026 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The acclaimed fantasy role playing franchise Sacred is about to advance onto mobile with Sacred Legends. Developed by Chimera Entertainment from Munich and published by Deep Silver FISHLABS from Hamburg, the new RPG will bring addictive PvE and PvP battles to smartphones and tablets.

And today, Deep Silver FISHLABS and Chimera Entertainment lifted the veil on their first conjoint project Sacred Legends. Exclusively developed for mobile devices, the app will mark the tradition-rich Sacred brand’s debut on the App Store and Google Play. Sacred Legends will go live globally in summer 2016.

The gripping story of Sacred Legends takes place in the demon-plagued kingdom of Ancaria – a rich game world with a deep lore. The title’s gameplay focuses on hero development, loot collection and fierce battles against monsters, creatures and other deadly enemies.

In the roles of warriors, archers or seraphim, the players set forth to save an ill-fated kingdom from the onslaught of unrelenting Demon Lords. In battle, they will be accompanied by their fellow players’ characters with whom they form hard-hitting teams.

In addition to asynchronous co-op features and multi-layered gameplay, the app features console-quality production values and native touchscreen controls. Its engaging story ties into the narrative of Sacred Underworld, the acclaimed add-on to the original Sacred game on Windows PC.

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