Added to Epic Games' ever-growing live-service platform back in December last year,LEGO Fortniteis a fully-fledged game in its own right and one that’s found a great deal of success over the last 10 months.LEGO Fortnitetakes the generalsurvival/crafting formula ofLEGO Worldsand gives it plenty of modern-age bells and whistles, putting it in the same league as juggernauts of the genre likeMinecraft.
One ofLEGO Fortnite’s greatest strengths is its multiplayer functionality, allowing up to 8 players to hop into a world together simultaneously. Multiplayer has always been a strong aspect of LEGO’s identity in the realm of video games, and it’s great to seeLEGO Fortnitecarry that torch forward, but the torch shouldn’t burn out in the hands ofLEGO Fortnite.
LEGO Needs More Multiplayer-Focused Experiences
Multiplayer Has Always Been a Staple of LEGO Games
The very first LEGO game to feature multiplayer was1999’sLEGO Racers, a funMario Kartclonewith a few unique tricks up its sleeve. From then on, multiplayer has remained a common feature in LEGO’s video games, with it being particularly prominent in TT Games' series of licensed LEGO titles. 2005’sLEGO Star Warswas the first to feature the drop-in, drop-out co-op that’s become so ubiquitous with LEGO games, and that formula has persisted for almost two decades.
FromLEGO Star WarstoLEGO BatmantoLEGO Indiana JonestoLEGO Harry Potterand finally back around toLEGO Star Warsagain with the release ofThe Skywalker Sagain 2022, co-op has played a prominent role inLEGO’s video game history, often being worked into the game’s level design.
Multiplayer Is Alive and Well in LEGO Fortnite
LEGO Fortnitehas carried this staple feature forward, allowing up to 8 players to join one world and play together. There are no limitations placed on those playing co-op inLEGO Fortnite, meaning that players can craft and survive as a team with no concern that they’re missing out on vital features or experiences only available to solo players.
DuringSony’s recent State of Play, it was announced thatLEGO Fortnitewould be receiving split-screen co-op soon. It’s believed that this split-screen update will arrive at some point this month, and when it does,LEGO Fortnitewill be an even stronger multiplayer experience.
There Should Be More LEGO Multiplayer Games on The Horizon
ButLEGO Fortniteshould only be the tip of the iceberg for LEGO’s multiplayer ventures.LEGO Horizon Adventuresis set to release in November, coming with a co-op mode that hearkens back to classic LEGO action-adventures, allowing for online or split-screen. Along with these classic co-op action-adventure games from LEGO, it might be fun to see some more ambitious multiplayer open-world adventure games, perhaps in a similar vein to the belovedLEGO Islandseriesfrom the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Some more LEGO sports games could also be a good avenue to pursue. Amultiplayer LEGO soccer game titledLEGO 2K Goooal!was also rumored to be announced earlier this year, though it’s seemingly gone radio silent. But there are plenty of other sports LEGO could be adapting in the meantime, from basketball to hockey to even something like paintball. LEGO is one of the most inherently creative brands out there, and that creativity should lead to some unique LEGO multiplayer experiences.
LEGO Fortnite Odyssey
WHERE TO PLAY
Explore vast, open worlds where the magic of LEGO® building and Fortnite collide.Collect food and resources, craft items, build shelter and battle enemies solo or team up with up to seven friends.Get creative in building and customizing your ultimate home base using LEGO® elements collected from the world around you, then recruit villagers to gather materials and help survive the night. Gear up and drop into deep caves in search of rare resources and hidden areas.
