Fortnite Delulu is almost a stroke of genius. The limited-time mode doesn't reinvent the wheel, but for Fortnite, it's the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle fun Epic Games excels at. Who thought that adding proximity chat and a reduced player count could be so great? It's bad news for the battle royale game playlist, because it's leaving the game already. Luckily, Embark Studios is cooking up a perfect alternative in the form of ARC Raiders.
If you didn't get the chance to try out Fortnite's latest game mode, Delulu is basically a condensed fight for survival, where you can forge alliances at any time thanks to in-game friend requests and proximity chat. Don't want to fight that intimidating squad sniping you from the hills? No worries, just try to sweet-talk them a little bit and flex your Fortnite skin collection. Sadly, Fortnite Delulu is no longer in the game as of Monday, September 29, 2025.
Epic Games isn't letting on whether it plans to reinstate it, either. However, given how popular modes like Fortnite OG became after launch, I can see the developer giving it another lease of life sooner than later. So what now? Rather than waiting for those KPop Demon Hunters skins to arrive in Fortnitemares or grabbing some Fortnite codes, I think you need to start looking forward to the ARC Raiders release date.
I can't get enough of anything to do with it, to be honest. Embark Studios is, in my opinion, the most exciting developer in the FPS game space, with The Finals standing tall as a fantastic offering that is unlike any shooter out there. The game's consistent unpredictability, chaotic destruction, and competitive landscape remind me of Call of Duty's eSport heyday. I still get chills thinking about OpTic Scump's incredible 1v3 clutch against OrbitGG in Black Ops 3.
ARC Raiders is the studio's next title, a PVEVP extraction shooter set in the Rust Belt - an apocalyptic wasteland overrun by intimidating mechs called ARCs. Civilization lives underground in a rebellion city known as Speranza, with brave Raiders going topside to scavenge for resources, complete objectives, and eliminate rival players. It doesn't all need settling with violence, though. Just like Fortnite Delulu, ARC Raiders uses proximity chat and a team-up system to forge new squads in the heat of the moment.
You can only roam around with two other players, but this doesn't stop more informal alliances from happening. During my ARC Raiders preview, my friends and I encountered players in the apartments of Buried City or the facilities of Spaceport, striking up temporary agreements to get out alive. Sometimes, though, it doesn't take long for things to go wrong, leaving a few triggers to pull.
This is what makes Fortnite Delulu so brilliant, and if you want to get this thrill often, there isn't long left to wait for ARC Raiders' launch. You can even play it early through the ARC Raiders Server Slam later this month, whether you're playing on Steam Deck, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC.