Fortnite Down: Playground mode removed within hours of launch by Epic Games

New Fortnite mode for beginners is down as engineers struggle to get it back online

Epic Games took down Playground Mode for its hit game Fortnite but hopes to get it back online (Fortnite)

Epic Games has taken the new Playground version of its hit game Fortnite offline, less than two hours after it went online.

The developers of Fortnite said that it has "multiple teams" working to get the mode working, with an update on their progress expected later on Thursday.

The highly-anticipated Playground mode is designed to make the game more accessible to beginners, as newcomers often find the online survival game overwhelming when pitted against more experienced players.

It allows new players to explore the game's island without having to worry about opponents trying to kill them.

In a statement on Reddit, Epic Games said: "We know you want to get back out to the Playground LTM. We've got multiple teams working to get this mode back into your hands so you can let your imaginations run wild."

Fortnite's developers added: "We want to inform you that the Playground LTM will remain closed for repairs for the night. We'll have more information available tomorrow [Thursday]."

A subsequent update on Reddit stated: "Yesterday we launched the Playground LTM. So many of you rushed in to create and play that our matchmaking service fell over. We’ve since separated the Playground matchmaker from the one that affects the default modes and made large improvements to assist with the number of players. We plan to push these changes and improvements live later today to bring the Playground LTM back online."

More than 800 complaints were reported by the outage overview site Down Detector in the hour after Epic Games pulled Playground mode, as users experienced long waits trying to access the new Fortnite mode.

Some reports to the website detailed other stability and performance issues with the game, with a patch subsequently issued by Epic Games.

Since launching last year, Fortnite has accrued more than 45 million players around the world. Despite already being available on the Xbox One, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC Mac and iOS, the lack of an Android version has seen cyber criminals attempt to take advantage of gamers seeking to play the game on their phones and tablets.

Last week, a security researcher uncovered fake Android apps containing malicious malware that allows hackers to take control of a person's device.

“There are dozens of YouTube videos with millions of views leading users to fake ad generating revenue,” Lukas Stefanko, a malware researcher at IT security firm ESET who discovered the malware, told The Independent.

“The risks are high because people believe and download whatever app they find in the description under YouTube videos. In one case, I found Trojan-SMS, but there could be ransomware, banking malware or spying software."

A gamer plays "Fortnite" against Twitch streamer and professional gamer Tyler "Ninja" Blevins during Ninja Vegas '18 at Esports Arena Las Vegas at Luxor Hotel and Casino on April 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) (Getty)

Fortnite has proved not just profitable for cyber criminals but also Epic Games, with the American video game developer earning nearly $300 million in the month of April across mobile, console and PC platforms.

Despite being free to download, a recent study calculated that the average Fortnite player spends $58.25 on in-game purchases of digital items, such as pickaxes and outfits.

The Finances of Fortnite research found that more than two thirds of Fortnite players have made in-game purchases, which helped the game generate more than $1 billion in revenue in 2017 alone.