Overwatch vs Fortnite: Which is Right For Your Style?

Main Differences Overwatch vs Fortnite

The main differences between Overwatch vs Fortnite are:

• Fortnite has mission based, sandbox, and competitive modes, whereas Overwatch has casual and competitive modes
• Fortnite is free-to-play, whereas Overwatch requires an initial purchase
• Overwatch leagues are matched by rank, whereas in Fortnite, you might play against anyone

Gaming news and updates are always coming, but the latest buzz is all about speculation for a new release for Fortnite.

Dwayne Johnson, known as The Rock by many, is known for everything from his WWE career to his acting–and now, he may just be getting a role in Fortnite, leading to even more speculation about competition between Overwatch vs Fortnite.

The rumors aren’t entirely baseless. Speculation that The Rock may play a voice acting role in Fortnite blossomed with the release of the Seasons 6 cinematic trailer for Fortnite. In it, it was revealed that a new character, called The Foundation, would make its debut.

The rumor really came to life, though, because of The Rock himself. Right around the time of the trailer debut for Fortnite, The Rock posted on Instagram that it was a “big day for him,” Of course, for now, there are just that: rumors.

But what I think it does bring to light is how fervent both Overwatch and Fornite fans are– and how interested they are in potential updates.

Overwatch 2 is around the corner, too– but for now, many new gamers are wondering: what’s all the hype about Overwatch and Fornite, and is one better than the other?

In this article. I’ll compare Overwatch vs Fortnite and tell you where each excels– and leaves gamers wanting.

Which is Better: Overwatch or Fortnite?

In order to determine if Overwatch or Fortnite is better, this review will break down both games by what I consider to be among the most important factors.

Price and Availability

The price point is never my number one factor– but something I consider in terms of overall value. In other words, Overwatch and Fortnite are not inherently worse or better than each other due to price point alone. What I like to look at is a price to quality ratio.

In terms of availability, you won’t, of course, have to worry about being able to purchase Overwatch or Fortnite–as two popular games available for purchase online, the bigger question is what kind of gaming laptop or console system you need to play.

Overwatch

Overwatch is available for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 (which can be played on PS5. as the newest PlayStation is backwards compatible), as well as Xbox One. For a PC, it’s not a too demanding game to run.

You’ll need a Windows 7 operating system or newer, just 4GB RAM, and an Intel Core i3 processor or better. However, you do need a strong internet connection to play, as the gameplay is based online.

Overwatch costs $19.99 for the standard edition or $39.99 for the legendary version. The standard edition gives you, of course, the standard game. The main difference between the standard vs legendary edition of Overwatch comes down to two things: aesthetics and loot boxes.

Unique skins come with the legendary version, which can help distinguish your characters. You’ll also start your game with loot boxes, which can be used as in game currency to buy more items.

In all, I personally don’t think the legendary edition is worth the extra price point– you can acquire loot boxes and other aesthetics as you play, and nothing in the more expensive edition will change your actual gameplay.

Fortnite

Fortnite, on the other hand, is a free to play game. As the name suggests, there is no initial cost to play Fortnite, but, as with Overwatch, there are microtransactions, or in game purchases, to ‘enhance’ your experience.

As far as overall cost– that’s all up to you and how much you buy. I’ll go over the cost analysis of Overwatch vs Fornite in a moment.

Fortnite also requires a stable internet connection to play and is available for Windows, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and mobile devices. Minimum system requirements are about identical to what you’d need to play Overwatch.

Winner: Fortnite

Obviously, Fortnite is free to play, and you spend nothing upfront. But the real reason I picked Fortnite for this category is that it simply can be played on more devices. If you have a Mac or Series X, you’d have to select Fortnite over Overwatch.

Be warned about price point, though: data from 2019 suggests that in-game purchases and DLC is far more popular in Fortnite; plus, others cite that the average player spends around $58 fairly quickly on their Fortnite experience. But one thing is certain: I don’t think it’s worth spending a $40 entry fee– and still being greeted by microtransactions.

Graphics & Setting/ Premise

Graphics comes down to personal preference, while setting establishes the context and overall feel of the game– and essentially sets the tone. As you can imagine, there is a bit of overlap between Overwatch vs Fortnite.

Overwatch

Graphics, of course, range depending on the gaming platform you’re playing. Overwatch has a stylized, 3D graphics look with earthier and more muted tones. The graphics do their job but are especially outstanding or updated.

All characters have some attention paid to their facial features, and custom skins can help. In all, the graphics are not outstanding one way or the other.

As far as the setting, Overwatch is set sixty years in the future. This future Earth is post apocalyptic, occurring after what was said to have been a golden age of technology.

Though this age of technology ushered in vast improvements, it also gave rise to lethal robots. The title of the game is connected to the team force in the game– named Overwatch– meant to team up around the world to fight for humanity’s survival.

Fortnite

Fortnite graphics also vary quite a bit, depending on your gaming setup, whether or not you have a quality graphics card, and what you have your settings on. Fortnite graphics are a bit more cartoony but also much brighter. Rather than earthy or dusky tones, much of the game provides vibrant, if not realistic, hues.

The setting and backdrop are also pseudo post apocalyptic, but with a different nemesis: instead of combatting back robots, you’ll be contending with zombies.

While Battle Royale doesn’t have a specific impetus, nor does Creative Mode, Save the World is more like Overwatch: it takes place following a devastating occurrence. In this instance, this version takes place after a mysterious storm killed all but 2 percent of the world and leaves the survivors to combat zombies.

Winner: Draw

It comes down to personal preference. I find that the more detailed backstory makes Overwatch a bit more compelling– but it’ll come down to if you prefer zombies vs robots as well. For each, the graphics and backdrop seem to suit the focus of gameplay.

Gameplay Modes

The most important factor between Overwatch vs Fortnite, of course, is the core gameplay. One of the major differences is the gameplay modes you can switch between. Fortnite offers three distinct modes, while Overwatch also offers several modes, but all centered around casual vs competitive gameplay.

For this section, I’ll touch on those modes, and then I will follow up in the next by discussing competitive and e-sports gameplay.

Fortnite

Fortnite’s modes consist of a good deal of variety– more than I expected of this genre. These include:

• Creative Mode, which provides sandbox gameplay. In this mode, players can create their own racecourses, mini challenges, or even just explore. Some have even gone so far as to say that, in this mode, Fortnite could be classified as a game like Star Citizen or Minecraft– albeit without the heavy emphasis on crafting.
• Battle Royale- Perhaps the most popular mode for Fortnite, Battle Royale is direct competition against other players for a survival experience. You can play solo or team up and play against an astonishing 100 players at a given time. In those modes, you scavenge for resources and weapons and, of course, try to survive.
• Save the World- This mode allows players to team up in groups of four to accomplish missions to ‘save the world.’ It offers a variety of strategies and fighting– you’ll need to collect data, resources and save the remaining 2 percent of the population. Check out some of the best places to go in Fortnite.

Overwatch

Overwatch modes can be broken down into casual vs competitive gameplay. While all online, players can select from competitive rankings (for esports) and casual gameplay, which consists of solo or team matches. There’s also a capture the flag game mode, and occasional special themes near holidays. Unlike Fortnite, there is no real mission based or sandbox gameplay.

Winner: Fortnite

While seasonal events and the Capture the Flag mode make Overwatch unique from Fortnite, Fornite simply has more variety. Sandbox mode and missions can give you a break from battle and competitive gameplay, adding to overall replay value and potentially wider appeal.

Competitive Gameplay

Granted, I am aware that what draws many to Overwatch or Fortnite in the first place is competitive gameplay. And as esports rises in popularity, it’s an understandable main feature to consider. While both offer online competitive gameplay, both for individual players and for teams, there are some differences.

Overwatch

Overwatch focuses on rankings by team skills and uses a tier system to determine who you’ll play against. In other words, highly ranked teams are matched against other highly ranked players.

The idea is to create competitive gameplay at every level, and for all players. Prize money can be quite high if you’re an elite–since its 2018 debut, the Overwatch League has offered prizes as high as $3.5 million.

Fortnite

Fortnite, and its Battle Royale mode, doesn’t match players up by ranking. In other words, amateur players may find themselves facing off against elite players. This can make it discouraging and challenging for new players to advance.

On the other hand, I suppose you could argue that, with the chance of facing off against elite players, you could potentially get more insight to their technique (though you could also argue one could do that by being a spectator).

Fortnite prizes can be quite lucrative, too. Some of the top players earn as much as a few hundred thousand dollars a month- though, of course, we’re talking about above the top one percent. Fortnite notably hosted a World Cup event in 2019, which offered a top prize of an eye watering $100 million.

Winner: Overwatch

One might easily argue that the earning potential is greater for Fortnite– and if you’re an elite player, maybe this is the case. But for the everyday player, or someone just interested in getting into esports, I think the ranking and tiered system of Overwatch makes for a more even playing field, and better experience overall.

DLC, and Updates

Updates and add ons can keep the gameplay feeling fresh– whether you’re playing Overwatch or Fortnite, or even strategy based games like Civilization. By the emphasis on competitive and cooperative gameplay, I do find that DLC doesn’t play a large role in games like Overwatch and Fortnite, but even updates are a consideration for more options and replay value.

Both Fortnite and Overwatch, of course, allow for in game purchases, especially for cosmetic items.

Overwatch

Overwatch mainly releases new options in the terms of dlc characters. DLC characters include unique playable heroes with signature abilities, and of course, unique appearances.

Some examples include Moira, an Irish scientist who can drain health and heal others, and Ashe, who previously belonged to a gang and is seen as especially aggressive. The game receives patches and updates during every year, though many of them do center around the featured seasonal events.

Fortnite

Fortnite typically just releases new content in the form of microtransactions, with a focus on skins and new weapons or unique weapons. Updates are somewhat similar to Overwatch and come in what are termed seasons.

As of now, there are 15 seasons and 2 chapters for the Battle Royale mode. Each season lasts a limited amount of time and features a unique theme. For instance, the third season was a space theme.

Winner: Fortnite

While both Overwatch and Fortnite follow a similar model, updates appear to be a bit more substantial and frequent for Fortnite vs Overwatch. In addition, the general enthusiasm seems telling in terms of anticipation and player response to updates for Fortnite vs Overwatch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Decision: Fortnite is a Better Pick– Unless You Want To Start eSports.

Neither game is perfect– and I was disappointed at the pending lawsuit for Fortnite, on behalf of iOs mobile device users. That said, overall Fortnite offers a better playing experience than Overwatch, and without the price of admission. From an active community to more consistent updates– and especially the ability to play many ways– Fortnite will provide better replay value.

My caveat is if you’re comparing Overwatch vs Fortnite with the sole, or at least, main intent of getting a start into esports. If this is the case, then you may find Fortnite very hard to break into. Overwatch has a ranked system that allows players of all skill levels to have great competition, and it may be easier to slowly rise in ranks.

Interested in Fortnite? Download Here.

Interested in Overwatch? Buy Here.

Looking for the best Fortnite experience possible? Read for the best mouse for Fortnite gameplay.