Fortnite takes inspiration from Among Us in new mode

This story about "stealing", boiled down, in 1:19 minutes.

What's the fuss?

One of the biggest games of the generation is incorporating a game mode that is awfully reminiscent of one of the biggest games of the pandemic. The attempt to keep on top of topical trends may be too little, too late.

The situation

With everyone confined in their homes, the pandemic has increased the popularity of casual gaming, with the social deduction game Among Us at the top of the heap. 

• Hundreds of millions were enraptured by either finding out who the imposter(s) was in their own games against friends or obsessed with watching others stream themselves doing the same.
• The game stands almost as a as a cultural monolith, having connected artists, politicians, and chess masters within the same medium, among others.

Now Fortnite, the most-played video game ever, has included its own social deduction-like mode. 

• Titled "Imposters", the game plays out almost the same as Among Us with its own coat of paint.
• Fortnite featured a different Among Us clone last year that was fan-made by members of the community, although "Imposters" seems like a more polished offering.

Boiling it down

You may think that blatantly copying another game has legal repercussions, but this is very rarely the case. 

• Game mechanics, or the core features of a game's operation, cannot be copyrighted, but the art itself (i.e. characters) can be.
• This gives rise to video game clones, which are typically made to take financial advantage of the popularity of the cloned game.

Although Among Us is still relatively a household name, its popularity has waned significantly since last year. 

• If Fortnite intended to capitalize on Among Us's popularity, it may be too late as gamers move on to other titles.

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