Epic Games’ immensely popular Fortnite is getting a new limited-time game mode revolving around Thanos, the mad titan and main villain from Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War film. The game mode was released on May 8 just weeks after the film hit the box offices and became the highest grossing film of all time. The Russo brothers, Anthony and Joseph, who directed the Avengers film have stated that they would often play Fortnite while directing the film. Eventually the two started thinking about a possible crossover between The Avengers and Fortnite given the popularity of the two. After contacting Donald Mustard, the creative director for Fortnite, The Russo Brothers and Mustard came up with the idea of having the Infinity Gauntlet and a limited time game mode added to Fortnite.

Fortnite fanatic and Xbox One user David Sanchez, 12, believes that while Thanos may be powerful in his respective universe, he does not see Thanos as a serious threat in Fortnite.

“I like playing Fortnite because it’s free, and it’s a good multiplayer game: it’s  competitive without the costs of a competitive game,” Sanchez said. “Thanos may now be in the game, but apart from his boosted attacks I don’t think he’s a big threat because he’s too slow and a big target, so it’s easier to hit him.”

The new game mode, titled “Infinity Gauntlet”, is similar to a standard solo match in Fortnite with a few exceptions. The storm circle is already visible at the start and players can tell what areas to avoid. A few minutes into the game the Infinity Gauntlet will fall from the sky and land in the circle for players to pick up and become the mad titan himself. As Thanos, players will have a unique set of abilities that they can use against other unfortunate players that cross their path. His first ability is a powered punch which can obliterate structures, while his second ability is a power beam channeled from the gauntlet that  damages overtime. Thanos also has a powered jump that allows him to clear most buildings. Rounding up the unique set, Thanos had originally been released with 1000 points of health, but has since been nerfed down to 500 points while his attacks have been buffed. Enemy players must be careful however, as Thanos can regenerate his shields if he eliminates a player.

Fortnite player Daniel Ramirez, 12, thinks that the addition of Thanos makes for an entertaining and enthralling game mode albeit kind of hard to become Thanos for less experienced players.

“Honestly, it’s pretty cool how they implemented the Marvel universe, especially with a limited time game mode with a character that’s widely hated yet loved. Hopefully they put more items in from the Marvel universe like outfits and gliders really,” Ramirez said. “The only thing I do hate is that it’s so hard to actually get Thanos but he’s pretty well balanced in combat from what I’ve seen. I wished it was just a one time use and when he dies he eliminates half of the people left, but oh well.”

The game mode has also brought new and unexpected forms of entertainment besides the gameplay. One of the more recent trends that have emerged is having Thanos digitally inserted into certain scenes from Marvel movies, adding an unexpected sense of humor to the films. Another popular trend to emerge is having Thanos dance in the game via emotes, which have spawned many videos on YouTube displaying the mad titan humorously dancing on the battlefield amidst the onslaught of enemies.

Moderate Fortnite fan Emiliano Salomon sees great potential in Fortnite for future collaborations with other works and possible events.

“I think it is a very fun way to mix two of the biggest phenomenons in pop culture – Fortnite and Infinity War. I think it’s really funny watching him dance, because it’s something you don’t see often in the game,” Salomon said.  “He’s pretty hard to control, due to his unusual loadout and high cooldowns, which can sometimes leave you open to attacks. I think it would be cool to maybe see some more crossover events, maybe with like DC, but I like where it’s headed and maybe we will see other crossovers with movies and games.”

The “Infinity Gauntlet” game mode has proven to be a major success with gamers given its popularity and nearly completely filled game lobbies. While it may have been a popular game mode, the event only lasted a week as the game mode ended on May 15. It is unclear whether or not Epic Games will replace Infinity Gauntlet with another limited time event.