Stop me if you've heard this one before: Fortnite is adding a new game mode that borrows heavily from one of the biggest games in the world. This time, it's Among Us that is being cribbed from, perhaps to the frustration of the game's four-person team.
The Spy Within is a new LTM, or limited-time mode, created by several community members in Fortnite's Creative game mode. Frequently, Epic Games promotes some of the best-made projects to the home page of Fortnite, and it was only a matter of time until someone went and made an Among Us clone so compelling that it would be featured in the game.
The LTM is being featured so heavily, in fact, that Epic has included exclusive cosmetic items that can be earned through playing the game. Three in-game Christmas-themed challenges can be earned in The Spy Within while the mode is featured, including a glider, weapon wrap styled as wrapping paper, and new holiday menu music. Earning each of those will also get you one final item, a spy-themed skateboard to wear as back bling in any game mode that allows customization.
The game was made by eight community members: DolphinDom, KKSlider, Bunni_, Wert, Blanky, jstKamui, MackJack, Ritual and Snownymous, and their LTM will be featured for at least several days, as Epic announced new spies would appear "every few days." An end date has not been set. One wonders if the mode would become permanent given how the battle royale came to be in the first place. Many will remember when Fortnite was just a tower defense game before Epic threw together their own version of PUBG to compete with what was at that time the biggest game in the world. Video games have never really been the same since then, though Fortnite has lost some of its bright spotlight to Among Us, especially among players under 18.
Quite ridiculously, the game mode's rules are offered without even a hint of self-awareness, but maybe it's done that way for legal purposes.
HOW TO PLAY THE SPY WITHIN LTM:
Everyone starts a match only knowing which team they are on. The identity of all other players is hidden.
Two players -- known as The Spies -- will try to eliminate other players without revealing their identity. They must do so before the crew completes their objectives.
Eight players -- known as The Agents -- will work together to identify spies and vote them out before the spies eliminate all other players. The Agents must gather gold coins -- earned by completing objectives -- to win.
Players cannot speak to one another in voice chat unless they are in a Meeting.
Players can call Meetings whenever they spot a character or are suspicious of another player. Players can now talk and discuss who they are suspicious of. They can choose to vote someone out, which eliminates them. Spies need to be careful, otherwise they will raise suspicions and get voted out!
Fortnite has a complicated history with taking other people's ideas. While major brands like Star Wars and Marvel welcome the crossover events built from contracted deals with Epic, many internet personalities have claimed, seemingly with good cause, that Fortnite has incorporated their likeness into the game without their consent. This most often happens with emotes, which once even led to Epic getting sued by "Backpack Kid," the professed creator of Flossing as a dance move.
It's once again a but uncomfortable to see Fortnite ripping off a game someone else made, especially when it's from a four-person team and a $5 game. For now at least, the mode is expected to be removed within a week or two, it seems.
