US EditionFortnite's Original Save the World Mode Finally Going Free-to-Play, and Launching For Switch 2
Epic Games will remove the paywall for Fortnite's Save the World PvE mode on April 16, expanding to Switch 2 and rewarding pre-registrants with in-game perks.
- Epic Games announced Save the World, Fortnite's original PvE co-op mode, will become free-to-play on April 16, 2026 after nearly nine years.
- Originally released in 2017, Save the World was eclipsed by Fortnite's battle royale, yet Epic Games kept it paywalled years ago via rotating add-on packs.
- Pre-Registration is live, a community registration site offers rewards, and the paid SKU sales end tonight, March 11, at 8PM ET.
- Existing players will receive vouchers for V-bucks, gold bars and end-game resources, with perks varying based on pre-registration totals by April 16, 2026.
- For the first time, Save the World will be available on Switch 2, while the free mode remains playable on PC, PlayStation and Xbox and unsupported on the original Nintendo Switch and smartphones.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Fortnite "Save the World" mode will return as a free-to-play game in 2026
Originally unveiled in 2011 and released after years of redesign and delay in 2017, Save the World was Fortnite long before "dropping from the battle bus" entered gaming vocabulary. It was built as a four-player PvE (player-versus-environment) action-building title – a blend of base construction, resource gathering, and combat against AI-controlled enemies.Read Entire Article
In 2017, the franchise started with this title, before the grandiose Battle Royale mode conquered the players' hearts worldwide.
Epic Games has confirmed that 'Fortnite: Save the World', the cooperative PvE mode that formed the basis of the cross-platform phenomenon, will be free-to-play almost nine years after its original release. It will be made available to the public on April 16, 2026, at which time the experience will be available to all players on virtually all systems on which it is currently available. Another way to play: Before 'Fortnite' became one of the most…
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