It’s starting to be 2019 around the world, and Fortnite’s in-game New Year’s party has begun. Some players were surprised to see a New Year’s ball drop when it wasn’t New Year’s in their time zone.
Hints of an in-game Fortnite event for New Year’s leaked earlier in December, but now we get to see it in action. Reports of the event began around 5am ET. Every hour until it’s officially 2019 everywhere, a rift will appear in the sky. A giant disco ball reminiscent of the famous ball in New York’s Times Square appears, and a crowd can be heard chanting down from 10. When the countdown gets to zero, fireworks explode and music plays, causing players to dance for the duration. The ball then explodes in a burst of confetti, and fireworks spell out 2019 in the sky.
This event confused some Fortnite players who play the game in parts of the world where it’ll be 2018 for many more hours. “2019 NEW YEAR LEAKED!?!?!” one player tweeted. “Happy New Years early I guess,” another wrote.
A NEW YEARS EVENT ALREADY?
HAPPY EARLY NEW YEARS I GUESS LMAOOO pic.twitter.com/Jwmu1W1klP
— FaZe Thiefs (@Thiefs) December 31, 2018
“I was in the battle bus when it happened,” another player wrote about the event on reddit. “I was so confused because a giant rift was opening in the sky.”
Others speculated that it was a test for the event or a scheduling error on developer Epic’s part.
Epic vice president Mark Rein eventually tweeted to remind people that New Year’s had already begun in certain countries.
It’s already New Years Eve in the Christmas Island, in the country of Kiribati and it will soon be New Years Eve in Fiji. https://t.co/pJKMaPIatB
— Mark Rein (@MarkRein) December 31, 2018
Epic PR person Nick Chester also tried to clear up the matter: “Woke up to learn that many Fortnite players are unaware of time zones,” he wrote. “We’re an educational and international game.”
Some players had been hoping that Fortnite’s big events will be programmed to stop people from scoring cheap kills, given that previous events have had problems with griefers killing those who’ve gathered to watch.
Epic obliged this time. Because players are forced to dance during the pinnacle of the event, no one can kill anyone else in that moment and cause them to miss it. Given the ball’s resemblance to Fortnite’s dance-causing boogie bombs, dancing, rather than disabling weapons or taking players into a cutscene, was a nice choice.
Getting to see the event every hour is great for people who have plans at midnight, or old people like me who have no intention of staying awake until midnight for anything. Plus, it was fun to celebrate New Year’s with Fortnite players around the world – at least until the ball dissipates and they eliminate you.
Comments
4 responses to “Fortnite’s New Year’s Eve Event Catches Some Players By Surprise”
While it is not that important but I feel sorry for Adelaide players because they wouldn’t enjoy this at midnight or any other location that has a half timezone.
Halves are unnatural, it’s their own fault.
Jokes aside, I was curious how many places actually use off-hour timezones. Turns out, not many at all. Afghanistan, India, Iran, Marquesas Islands, Myanmar, Newfoundland, Sri Lanka and Australia are the only ones that use half-hour timezones; and Nepal, Eucla in Western Australia, and Chatham Islands are the only ones that have quarter-hour timezones. TIL.
It’s nice considering we (and others) usually have to wait 1-2 days for the rest of the world to catch up before we get to see content and have done so for years with little complaint.
Well if those players are Chinese they might not as China has no timezones.