Early Gameplay Footage of Fortnite Surfaces Online 14 Years Later

Some of the first gameplay footage of Fortnite has surfaced online from a behind-closed-doors event at Comic-Con in 2012. The footage was recently posted to YouTube by Reddit user kleuscher, who stated that they found the video on an old USB drive after saving it there in 2012. According to the user, they originally acquired the clip from a Russian forum back in 2012 and received a copyright strike from Epic Games after attempting to upload it at that time.

The five-minute presentation offers insight into early concepts for Fortnite Save the World, including some mechanics that later appeared in Fortnite Battle Royale. Viewers can see resource gathering and wall building, alongside original designs and environments. Epic Games originally described Save the World as a cross between Minecraft and Left 4 Dead. The project was initially planned as a free-to-play title before the studio shifted focus to the Battle Royale mode. Fortnite Save the World eventually went free-to-play in April 2026.