Fortnite goes live-action in this pitch-perfect SNL skit

Anybody who's played Fortnite - actually, anybody who's played any kind of online game - has encountered them. The newb. The confused. The person who just doesn't understand how a controller works. And if by some miracle you haven't come across such people before, don't worry: a new Saturday Night Live skit starring Adam Driver as a middle-age father trying Fortnite for the first time captures the essence of what it's like perfectly.

As far as depictions in the media go, video games have grown from an often-mocked hobby enjoyed by asocial manchildren to... well, pretty much the same thing, albeit less severely so. Maybe that's why it's so refreshing to see Saturday Night Live, which is about as mainstream as you can get, make a Fortnite skit that doesn't treat the game itself as a joke.

The guys Driver's character plays with aren't seen as weird or losers, they're just typical teenagers (being played by men in their mid-20s and 30s, of course). They do their best to help out their squadmate and even offer to go another round after he fails miserably. Sure they get frustrated, but again, they're not the butt of the joke here.

The skit also nails the feel of Epic's battle royale juggernaut thanks to the Fortnite Halloween costumes and props. Really, it's just an all-around well-produced joke that manages to be funny without feeling too mean. Kudos, SNL.

If you're busy playing in the real world, be sure to check out our guides to Fortnite season 6, especially the Fortnite Tier 100 Challenge guide so you can unlock the full Dire skin. 

Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.