What is Fortnite OG’s lore — Fortnite story guide

I’ve been playing Fortnite on and off since launch, but the story behind its Battle Royale mode has always eluded me. While it feels like nothing more than an excuse to shoehorn in a bunch of crossover partnerships, the story has never really been the reason I play, anyway.

But, to pretend as if Fortnite lacks a story would be disingenuous. There is one, even if it has two feet in the shallow side of the narrative pool. And with Fortnite OG currently running, some players have been curious about what — if any — lore reason there is for the (albeit temporary) reset back to the original island.

What is Fortnite OG’s lore?

So, it should be said that there doesn’t seem to be much, if anything, in the way of lore or story setting up Fortnite OG. In past instances, Fortnite’s official YouTube channel would upload a cinematic trailer showing off story elements and a launch trailer showing off more generalized gameplay. 

But, for Fortnite OG, the channel seems to be prioritizing gameplay over story. To that end, there was a trailer showing off the return of Tilted Towers, a generalized gameplay trailer, and a trailer showcasing Loot Lake. It just feels like the team at Epic Games are using Fortnite OG as a breather season for fans to simply play and enjoy the game instead of combing over lore and story details. 

That being said, Chapter 4: Season 4 seemed to show the antagonist, Kado Thorne, using a time machine and setting it for July 12, 2018, which coincides with the date that Chapter 1: Season 5 happened. It makes sense, given Fortnite OG’s repeated insistence that we’re headed back to 2018. If you’re in need of a story or lore connection, there’s a good chance it’ll be revealed when Chapter 4: Season 5 (or 6, if they count Fortnite OG as Season 5) comes around.