It’s always a shame that the excellent Battlefield 1943 I never got to PC. The FPS game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 was a fantastic sequel to DICE’s Battlefield 1942. It landed right between the two Bad Company games as a digital release featuring just three classes and three maps, but proved extremely popular, becoming the best-selling Xbox Live Arcade game of 2009. The servers were closed at the end of 2023, but now a group of dedicated fans is paying homage to the beloved classic in an unexpected place – Fortnite.

The team behind Battle43 describes it not as a direct recreation, but rather maps inspired by the classic. FPS game built in the Unreal engine for Fortnite. The game is completely free – the developer says it will “never charge you or ask for money” – and will continue to grow and evolve as Fortnite Creative additions roll out. Its initial arrival in July featured just one map, the iconic Wake Island, but a new update introduced Guadalcanal as well as a host of additional game enhancements such as a dashboard and mini-game. map, as well as a new, smoother round system built from the grind.

Battle43 is an impressive testament to the power of Fornite’s Unreal editor. The appearance of the maps, first-person action, and UI layout are close enough that you can almost mistake them for the real thing at a glance, although the presence of Fornite fonts will give it away to an eagle. player with eyes. There are tanks, planes, and environmental destruction – buildings can be destroyed or crushed in a way that feels like a true throwback to the original. You can see it in action below, courtesy of YouTuber Jack ‘jackfrags’ Mason.

The feel isn’t 100% the original, but it’s a pretty impressive approximation, and overhauls to the on-foot and in-vehicle action are planned as Fortnite Creative evolves. You can even implement the classic Battlefield strategy of strapping C4 to the front of a car, driving it into the enemy fortress, jumping out, and hitting the detonator. If you prefer, you also have the option to switch to third person. It’s almost reminiscent of the free-to-play Battlefield Heroes, which arrived around the same time as the original 1943 launch.

Battle43 is a truly charming project – a true labor of love for a game lost in time. With Battlefield 1943’s servers no longer online, this is a cozy home for fans who loved it to share together. And to celebrate the holiday season, a special Christmas Celebration event is also live: enemies drop gifts when you eliminate them, and if you manage to pick them up, they’ll add to your total, which you will be able to show on your profile in the future.

Battle43’s Guadalcanal update is now available. You can play it for free in Fortnite – just go to the browser’s search tool and search for “Battle43” to find the map. For now, the maps will alternate between three rounds of the new Guadalcanal map and one of Wake Island. The Iwo Jima map is currently under development and should arrive in a later update. You can learn more via the community Discord (invitation link opens in a new window).

We have the latest details on the Fortnite Map for chapter 6 of season 1, with our selection of best multiplayer games on PC which you will be able to play in 2024.

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