‘Fortnite’ Playground mode to go offline July 12 — but it will return

Fortnite: Battle Royale‘s relaxing Playground mode has only been live since July 3, but the instantly popular sandbox mode will go offline July 12, developer Epic Games announced on Reddit. We knew this would happen, as Playground was dubbed a limited-time mode from the jump, but it still stings a bit.

On a positive note, we know the mode will return. Epic detailed changes it hopes to make to Playground before its next iteration.

“For the next version of Playground, we’re hoping to include functionality that would allow team selection options within the Playground itself,” Epic said. Epic is aiming for 1v1 and 2v2 options. The ability to choose teams could open up the creative game mode in some meaningful ways. First and foremost, having the capability to edit teammates’ builds would help you and your friends collaborate.

In adding teams, Epic also hopes to bring controller aim assist, correct traps effects, teammate highlighting on the map, and pickaxe damage to the game.

Epic announced Playground mode in May, describing it as a place to try out new strategies without the fear of getting knocked out of a match. Playground has unlimited respawning, faster resource generation, and every single treasure and ammo crate populates on the map. The four-player mode isn’t meant for intense battles, but you can turn friendly fire on and make up your own rules.

“The Playground limited-time mode represents our first step into what a full creative mode looks like in Fortnite,” Epic said. That statement hints that Epic will eventually make some form of a Playground mode a full-time feature in the game.

So far, inventive players have already made some cool creations in Playground mode. A group of friends created a Mario Kart-style track on Tilted Towers called Tilted Track. Two players re-created Call of Duty’s popular Nuketown map, while another made Rust, a map from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

It certainly seems as if Fortnite players have taken a liking to Playground mode. While you still have about a week to try out some wild designs, it’s going to be sad to see the mode disappear. Hopefully, it’s not gone for too long, and we’d be surprised if it didn’t become an official staple in Fortnite: Battle Royale down the line.