Fornite’s Battle Royale mode, like the game that inspired it, is tense. Any step could be your last. Sometimes, you don’t even know where the bullets are coming from, so you become hyper-vigilant. Anything that moves could be a threat.


Oh, except the environment itself sometimes moves of its own volition. The mode is dotted with colorful butterflies that hover in circles, sometimes buzzing away if you get too close. These insects have, hilariously, become a small nightmare for me.

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but every so often when I scout the map, as I look into the distance I’ll catch something from the corner of my eye. Shit, SHIT, I think as I frantically swap my weapon to a shotgun. Fingers at the trigger, my palms start to sweat, I can feel my blood racing—only to find out it’s a fuckin’ butterfly in my periphery, not another player.


At least once, I accidentally shot at a butterfly in a knee-jerk reaction to movement. One time, I started panicking at a butterfly, realized it wasn’t a player, sighed in relief, and got shot in the face from another direction just as I let my guard down. Welp. There’s a lesson in there, somewhere.

I’ve gotten way better about recognizing real threats, and keeping my cool in general while playing, even when I’m under direct fire. But every so often, Fortnite will manage to play me for a split second or two just by showing me a small fluttering butterfly.