Epic Games pulled off its latest Fortnite live event on Saturday with 10.5 million players tuning in at once to watch Godzilla and King Kong fight a giant kaiju while Hatsune Miku rode on top shooting energy beams.
The event called “Zero Hour” served as the finale for Fortnite‘s current chapter. Players queued into a special playlist and experienced a 10-minute scripted battle sequence filled with an absurd number of licensed characters fighting together.
Godzilla and King Kong took center stage as the main combatants. They traded blows with the boss enemy while Hatsune Miku sat on top of Godzilla firing synchronized beam attacks with the monster’s atomic breath. The Power Rangers Megazord landed on the battlefield and drew its signature sword. A Star Wars Star Destroyer bombarded from above. Iron Man and Superman assisted players on the ground.
The Kill Bill Bride appeared riding her yellow motorcycle. Players could hop on the back and shoot enemies while she drove through the chaos. Homer Simpson showed up to throw a donut. The DeLorean and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles van raced past. Beavis and Butt-Head watched and laughed from the sidelines.
Players had limited control during the experience. They could move around, fire weapons at the boss for cosmetic damage numbers, and ride certain vehicles. The outcome was entirely scripted. Think of it as an interactive cutscene where you’re allowed to press buttons but can’t actually change what happens.
The event started with a reality-shifting sequence that cycled through different themed worlds. This let Epic showcase various IPs one after another. All of it built toward the final confrontation where every character joined forces against the central threat.
Then the servers couldn’t handle it.
The real boss was server load
Many players reported crashes right as the closing cutscene began. The final moments showed the death of Fortnite‘s iconic Battle Bus driver. Most people missed it entirely.
The technical issue appears to stem from Epic’s decision to stream the final cinematics from their servers rather than include them in the game files. This prevents leaks before events happen. But it also means 10.5 million clients requested the same video file at exactly the same moment. The infrastructure buckled.
These live events are Fortnite‘s signature spectacle moments. Epic has run them at major season transitions since 2017. Early events focused on the game’s original story and characters. Recent ones have leaned hard into crossovers.
Zero Hour represents the most IP-dense event Fortnite has ever staged. Previous finales featured Marvel’s Galactus or concerts from Travis Scott and Ariana Grande. Those stuck to single franchises or performers. This one threw everything together at once.
No other game attempts events at this scale. The production cost for custom animations, voice work, effects, and backend infrastructure is massive. Fortnite‘s revenue and player base make it possible.
