Plenty of students have seen this, all-so-familiar image (pictured above) posted to hundreds of snapchat stories by fellow students and friends. But what exactly does this mean and why is it taking over social media?

Fortnite is a free-to-play multiplayer battle royale video game on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. In Fortnite, players play solo, duos with a friend, or squads in a group of four, to compete in a 100-player competition to be the last player(s) alive- thus receiving the ‘Victory Royale’.

What makes this trending video game different from the others in the market, such as Player Unknown Battle Grounds, is its unique, rapid paced playstyle, satisfaction of playing and winning, and the price: completely free.

“I initially downloaded Fortnite because it was free,” Kellen Huntley, 12, said. “But after playing it a few times, I began to see what all the hype was about.”

Many students view Fortnite as not just a video game, but rather a way to gather their best friends and work together towards a satisfying end goal.

“I honestly think this game has strengthened some of my friendships because of the cooperation required to get a win in squads,” Matthew Daniello, 12, stated. “Fortnite has become a tradition within my friend group and I’m all for it.”

Some people even believe Fortnite is too fun for their own good.

“Since the release of Fortnite, I feel as though I have become a less productive student.” Andrew Wise, 12, said. “It takes away from homework and studying time, but sometimes, sacrifices need to be made.”

However, not everyone at Freedom is a fan of Fortnite.

“Fortnite is overrated,” Tanner Fetters, 12, proclaimed. “There are plenty other games that are just as, if not, more fun than Fortnite but don’t get the hype that this game does.”

Students can decide whether Fortnite is entirely overrated or the potential game of the year by downloading the game for free on the Xbox Marketplace, PlayStation Store, or online at www.epicgames.com  for PC.