'LEGO Fortnite' Is Just Getting Started

The Gist:

• LEGO Fortnite is a brand new sandbox game mode likened to Minecraft.
• It's now live for Fortnite players to dive into and is free-to-play.
• It's unclear just how long this mode will be available for, but it's not leaving the game anytime soon.

Fortnite has become so much more than just another battle royale game. The title, which has been booming in popularity since its launch in 2017, now has multiple game modes to keep the title feeling fresh for even the most seasoned of players. Its most recent addition? LEGO Fortnite.

This crossover between the popular brick-building franchise and Fortnite brings a brand new game mode reminiscent of Minecraft. You'll drop into a world filled with various LEGO bricks, where you'll hunt for resources and bricks to build with, fight creatures scattered across the land, and play with friends.

Just like its sandbox counterpart, you can play LEGO Fortnite in either survival or sandbox mode, giving you the freedom to play at your own pace. Each Fortnite account can have up to eight worlds at one time, and thanks to Fortnite's notorious online play, you'll be able to invite others to join in on your world. Just like the base game, LEGO Fortnite is free-to-play.

The addition of LEGO Fortnite has players of all ages excited to get exploring, but just how long will this new mode be around for? We don't have the exact answer, but there are plenty of clues to suggest its lifespan.

In the announcements about the launch from both Epic Games and LEGO, neither party commented on if the new game mode will become a staple part of the popular free-to-play title, but Epic Games did promise " This is only the beginning of the adventure," suggesting much more will be added in the future. In a press release from Epic Games, the company says it has plans to "unveil several more LEGO themed games inside Fortnite" next year.

Though other new play modes, like Zero Build, have become long-term staples to the ever-evolving title, the continued lifespan of LEGO Fortnite is partially dependent on the timeline for the two companies' partnership. Since Fortnite is technically licensing the use of the LEGO brand for this game mode, should that agreement come to an end, it may someday disappear.

It's hard to say just how long the mode will be around, but it'll likely be decided by its popularity. Fortnite is known to swap out different play styles as partnerships end, interest fades, and space needs to be made for new modes. That said, so long as it becomes a mode that players flock to often, it's bound to be a staple part of Fortnite for the foreseeable future — so take your time exploring everything the mode has to offer.