Today we’ve seen the Chapter 4 Season 5 release for Fortnite! Perhaps our most anticipated season since the Black Hole took everything offline for two solid days. Not too surprisingly, it’s been one of the biggest launches we’ve ever seen. The Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5 release date has seen huge player numbers, even breaking the past highs for the game.

If you’re trying to jump into Fortnite OG and try out the old Fortnite map that’s returned, you might be in for a wait. Even once the new update is downloaded and installed, players are getting put in a queue. This kind of delay hasn’t been seen in Fortnite since we saw the Chapter 3 release! How’s the Chapter 4 Season 5 release gone so far though, and why are we seeing such big delays getting in?

Source: Epic Games

Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5 Release Shatters Player Records

The current Fortnite season is the most anticipated we’ve seen in quite a while. In the full Fortnite patch notes, we’ve seen that the OG map is back in full. So is the OG weapon pool. Even the shop has reverted to a smaller more contained form. We’re seeing some of the C1 cosmetics that have long been missing getting reintroduced! The Fortnite release has seen quite a few elements go back to the type of Fortnite players have missed.

Jumping into the game, one of the first things you’ll notice is that it’s really popular at the moment. You’ll have to wait in the queue to even get access to the servers. Since Epic is experiencing a huge player surge, you’ll have to hold on a little before you can start. Even once you’re in, the player numbers are currently huge.

Players will likely spot the higher player counts upon logging in. For a while now, Epic has shown live Fortnite player counts under game modes. For the Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5 release date, we’ve seen these numbers hit even higher than we’ve seen before. At a concurrent player count over 4 million at times.

What’s even more interesting about the chapter 4 Season 5 release is how players are distributed. Creative maps have a low count. Zero Builds used to be about on par with builds, not anymore. It’s been sitting at a few hundred thousand players. Battle Royale though has a huge player count. Everyone is jumping into builds. We’re seeing record player numbers online right now, with the total player count sitting above our previous high pretty stably.

What is Fortnite OG?

Logging into Fortnite you’re not going to see the expected Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5. Instead, Epic is simply calling this season Fortnite OG. What does it mean and why are we using that name?

Fortnite OG is basically just name labelling the season as it is. It’s the original, or OG, version of Fortnite Battle Royale. The first map, original loot pool, everything has been turned back. Fortnite OG is acknowledging that we’re away from the Chapter 4 map and items. Instead, we’re playing around with the first iteration of Fortnite.

Epic seems to be quite consistent with calling this season Fortnite OG. Although, in essence this is still Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5. Either term makes sense, but Fortnite OG does fit a little more since we don’t have any of the intent that’s defined Chapter 4 so far.

Why is Fortnite CH1 So Popular?

The new season of Fortnite has hit a huge spike of player numbers on release. Why has proven such a success? Nostalgia is a powerful tool, but the game is currently a lot of fun even for new players.

The current Fortnite season is bringing back the original way of playing. It’s pretty different from modern seasons. Games are slower, they’re more playful, the whole pacing of games feels different. Jumping in its easy to see why this style of Fortnite has been so missed. With only a month for this season too, the Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 5 release date is going to end as quickly as it started! Players only have a short while back in CH1, so make the most of it!