Fortnite Zero Hour Live Event Draws 10.5 Million Players, As Godzilla, King Kong, Iron Man and KPop Demon Hunters Unite For Avengers: Endgame-Style Finale

Fortnite developer Epic Games has announced that 10.5 million players just tuned in for Zero Hour, the highly-anticipated live event that featured heroes from the world’s biggest franchises turning up Avengers: Endgame-style to save the day. Online, at least 3 million more watched the event via streaming platforms.

Iron Man, Superman, Godzilla and the KPop Demon Hunters were just some of the characters who made appearances within the event, as Fortnite’s finest gathered to defeat the Dark Presence, the game’s latest Big Bad. Many of the characters appearing in the event had been teased ahead of time, though exactly what would happen was left uncertain. And indeed, despite going multiple rounds with King Kong and a Star Destroyer, the Dark Presence was still left standing.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the event was quite how much Fortnite celebrated its own beloved lore, with the Dark Presence finally defeated thanks to a last-ditch decision by Jonesy to call in the game’s villainous Cube.

https://twitter.com/beebomgaming/status/1994851824491532353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Fans are now sharing gameplay of the event and finding numerous Easter eggs, such as characters from Steal the Brainrot being featured in the background, and Hatsune Miku joining the battle while perched on Godzilla’s head. I particularly love this fan creation, which overlays Avengers: Endgame’s score on top of Zero Hour’s “portals” sequence:

https://twitter.com/ABaldy64/status/1994857279796253165?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

There’s plenty here, too, for Fortnite lore fans to digest. As Hope herself questioned, who was piloting the Mecha Team Leader mech? (A member of the Seven?) Will the destruction of the Cube lead to its mothership reappearing? (Yes, see below!) And how is Epic Games going to top this next year?

With the event’s gameplay portion complete, some players reported seeing their games abruptly crash as an unexpected cutscene began to air. The cinematic, which you can watch in full below, quickly sums up Fortnite’s clearly now-revived original storyline and makes absolutely clear that the game is returning to its focus on its heroic Seven, and their battle against the Cube’s civilization, dubbed The Last Reality.

After that, players were treated to a quick glimpse at what’s next for the game (and yes, Epic Games couldn’t resist making a 6-7 joke in the process). Fortnite Chapter 7 will begin with our heroes enjoying life on a new map themed around the southern US. There are Fortnite-y versions of Hollywood and Area 51 to explore, while fresh gameplay changes include wingsuits and drivable Reboot Vans. Everything seems pretty chill, until The Last Reality’s mothership does indeed turn up (and promptly blows up Fortnite’s beloved Battle Bus!)

And after that, for those still connected, Fortnite really did call it a day. The game is now offline for a number of hours, with the launch of Chapter 7 due as the game comes back online later tonight.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social