J. Clement
Research lead covering internet and gaming
Fortnite - Statistics & Facts
As of 2024, it is hard to imagine a world of online gaming without Fortnite. The cross-platform game, which has grown into a cultural phenomenon and played a large role in the rise of video game live streaming, has six different gameplay modes, the most well-known and popular being Fortnite Battle Royale. In March 2023, parent company and publisher Epic Games reported half a billion Fortnite accounts, highlighting Fortnite’s ambitions as a virtual environment beyond its core gameplay.
Along with its direct competitor PUBG: Battlegrounds (2017), Fortnite is still the leading game in the battle royale genre, where several players compete against each other to be the last person standing. Other major titles in this segment include Garena Free Fire (2017), Apex Legends (2019), Call of Duty: Warzone (2020), and Naraka: Bladepoint (2021).
Currently, Fortnite is still one of the highest-grossing and most downloaded free-to-play (F2P) video games worldwide.
Battle royale – the gaming trend of the late 20teens
Fortnite Battle Royale was released in early access in September 2017, with a full release in June 2020, and the rest is history. The rise of the then-budding battle royale genre, as well as the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on video gaming positioning itself as mainstream entertainment, and the subsequent explosion of video game streaming, led to Fortnite riding a wave of success.Along with its direct competitor PUBG: Battlegrounds (2017), Fortnite is still the leading game in the battle royale genre, where several players compete against each other to be the last person standing. Other major titles in this segment include Garena Free Fire (2017), Apex Legends (2019), Call of Duty: Warzone (2020), and Naraka: Bladepoint (2021).
Currently, Fortnite is still one of the highest-grossing and most downloaded free-to-play (F2P) video games worldwide.
Game mode development towards platform expansion
While user and viewer engagement with Fortnite is lower than the height of its success, developer Epic Games is taking pains to expand Fortnite’s footprint among gamers and keeping it relevant. In addition to the original gameplay modes Fortnite Save the World (cooperative player-versus-environment title), Fortnite Battle Royale (player-versus-player), and Fortnite Creative (sandbox game mode in which players can create and personalize their own islands with Fortnite items and gameplay modes), the game has also seen several major releases at the end of 2023. Launched in December 2023, Lego Fortnite instantly became a hit. Lego Fortnite is a sandbox survival gameplay mode where users can gather resources and create weapons on the map. During the first four days of release, top Lego Fortnite streamers generated 7.7 million hours of watch time on major streaming platforms. Overall, that month also saw the launch of Fortnite: Rocket Racing, a racing game collaboration with the developers of Rocket League, as well as Fortnite Festival, a rhythm-based game.Epic metaverse aspirations
Fortnite has hosted several high-profile in-game events which have drawn millions of players worldwide and are also immensely popular on streaming platforms. In December 2023, Fortnite hosted an in-game Eminem concert as part of its Big Bang Event as the finale of the then-ending OG season. The concert was a success, peaking at 3 million concurrent streaming viewers. Attending live events is one of the most popular non-gaming activities within video games and is a significant factor in onboarding users to Fortnite’s wider ecosystem beyond core gaming. However, the question remains - whether this is enough to draw in potential metaverse audiences.
