78 Essential Fortnite Statistics: 2024 Users & Revenue Data

Fortnite by Epic Games made a splash when it was released in 2017. The online video game has players engaging in a competitive survival experience. Famed Fortnite game modes include Battle Royale, Party Royale, Creative, and Save the World. These have allowed Fortnite to amass a massive following.

It also helps that Fortnite is available on multiple platforms, including consoles. With the succeeding Fortnite statistics, you can see how expansive the game’s user following is, how much the developer earns from in-game purchases, and the game’s current issues and security concerns.

Fortnite User Statistics

In a 2019 survey, Fortnite came in as one of the most popular video games in the United States. It placed third in the list, with Call of Duty being the headliner and Grand Theft Auto following the first-person shooter franchise. In this section, we will make a quick overview of Epic Games’ Fortnite key numbers and player count.

• 31% of gamers played Fortnite in the US in 2019. (Treasure Data, 2019)
• As of June 2020, there were 78 million downloads of Fortnite on mobile (iOS only at launch). (Sensor Tower, 2020)
• The game had more than 125 million players within a year of its launch. (Esports.net, 2020)
• The peak concurrent player count of Fortnite was 78.3 million. This happened in August 2018. (Cultured Vultures, 2021)
• The average number of concurrent players per hour of Fortnite is around 937,500. (Cultured Vultures, 2021)
• In April 2020, players logged over 3.2 billion hours in the game. (Twitter, 2020)
• It has over 350 million registered users worldwide as of May 2020. (VGChartz, 2020)
• Of that total, 116 million played Fortnite on iOS. That is more than 30% of its user base. (Cultured Vultures, 2021)
• The game has recorded 25 million daily active users (DAU). (Cultured Vultures, 2021)
• 2.5 million or 10% of DAU played exclusively on iOS devices. (Cultured Vultures, 2021)
• 36% of users played 0 to 6 hours of Fortnite every week in 2020. (LendEDU, 2020)
• 34% of players spent 6 to 12 hours on Fortnite each week. (LendEDU, 2020)
• Only 5% of players were active on the game for 21 hours or more every week. (LendEDU, 2020)

Player Demographics

Turning to Fortnite statistics age, the game has players of all ages. However, one age group dominates—young adults. This coincides with findings regarding gamers worldwide.

• 26% of preteens in the US play Fortnite. (SuperData Research, 2019)
• The majority of Fortnite players are between the ages of 18 and 24 (62.7%). (Verto Analytics)
• There are quite a few adults aged 45 to 54 years old who play Fortnite (2%). (Verto Analytics)
• An overwhelming percentage of Fortnite gamers are male (72.4%). (Verto Analytics)

Gamer Achievements

• Of more than 95 million Fortnite players being tracked, Ship has the most wins: 25,598. (Fortnite Tracker, 2021)
• BH nixxxay is number one in terms of kills with 290,795 kills. (Fortnite Tracker, 2021)
• Zayn 120 fps has the highest TRN rating in the game: 4,999. (Fortnite Tracker, 2021)
• User Bugha from the US has earned $3,159,595.05 playing in Fortnite tournaments. (Esports Earnings, 2021)
• They are followed by Aqua from Austria with a total of $1,926,974.23 from game prizes. (Esports Earnings, 2021)
• The top 100 Fortnite player is Redrush from Lithuania who has earned a total of $140,286.26 from tournaments. (Esports Earnings, 2021)
• The United States is the top country in the game with more than 2,000 players and $34,989,610.43 earned in competitions. (Esports Earnings, 2021)

E-sports

• Fortnite had over $8.3 million in cumulative tournament prize pool in 2020. (Esports Earnings, 2021)
• There were 109 Fortnite tournaments in 2020. (Esports Earnings, 2021)
• H1ghSky1, Fortnite’s first 12-year-old pro (in 2019), did not receive prize money despite winning because of rules violation. (Polygon, 2019)

Top Earners 2021 (Esports Earnings, 2021)

• Netherlands – Rojo (Dave Jonge) – $1.213 million
• Belgium – Suezhoo (Stephan) – $341.25 thousand
• Denmark – Zand – $341.25 thousand
• Sweden – Crue (Theo Ferrer) – $717.15 thousand
• Norway – Nyhrox (Emil Bergquist Pedersen) – $1.536 million

Fortnite Streaming Statistics

In 2020, people watched over 100 billion hours of gaming content on YouTube, Fortnite statistics Google reveals. Fortnite was among the global top 5 games watched in 2020.

General

• On June 15, 2020, Fortnite’s peak number of concurrent viewers on Twitch was 2,277,171. (TwitchTracker, 2021)
• In December 2020, Fortnite had an average of 146,000 concurrent viewers. (TwitchTracker, 2021)
• December 1, 2020 saw the peak of channels streaming on Twitch: 132,973. (TwitchTracker, 2021)
• Epic Games’ Fortnite landed the number 3 spot in the top 10 categories on Twitch 2020 with 904 million hours watched. (StreamElements, 2021)
• It remained in the top 10 most-watched games in streaming in Q1 2021. (StreamElements, 2021)
• The game had a negative gain of concurrent viewers in April 2021—from 158,000 to 131,000. (TwitchTracker, 2021)
• Fortnite’s audience streamed 389 million hours in Q1 2021 across Twitch, YouTube Live Gaming, and Facebook Gaming. (TwitchTracker, 2021)
• Fortnite had 136,07 thousand viewers on Twitch in January 2021. (TwitchTracker, 2021)
• Fortnite was the leading game on Twitch in March 2021, with 669,749 streamers. (SullyGnome, 2021)

Events

• Fortnite’s Doomsday event pulled more than 5 million concurrent viewers on YouTube as well as on Twitch in June 2020. (Newzoo, 2020)
• The in-game event accumulated 11.8 million hours of viewership. (Newzoo, 2020)
• 8.09 million cumulative hours were spent watching Travis Scott’s Fortnite music performance. (Newzoo, 2020)
• Steve Aoki’s performance had people spending 7.7 million hours. (Newzoo, 2020)
• Meanwhile, DJ Diplo drew 6.01 million hours. (Newzoo, 2020)

Fortnite Platform Statistics

Fortnite started out as a PC exclusive. So it is no surprise that there are 160 million Epic Games Store PC users. But soon after its release, Fortnite became available to other platforms soon after its release. According to Epic Games, you can play Fortnite on PC and Mac, as well as consoles, and Android mobile devices.

• Fortnite can run on four PlayStation units: 4, 4 Pro, 4 Slim, and 5. (Epic Games, 2021)
• It can run on four versions of Xbox as well: One, One S, One S All-Digital Edition, One Series X|S. (Epic Games, 2021)
• It works on two Nintendo Switch models, too: Switch and Switch Lite. (Epic Games, 2021)
• According to Fortnite statistics Switch, the game is now available in an improved resolution of 1170 x 660. (Polygon, 2021)
• Over 30 Android devices can support Fortnite. (Epic Games, 2021)
• PC and Mac can support all four Fortnite game modes. (dummies, 2019)
• Fortnite Mobile downloads in April 2020 hit six million. This matches with mobile gaming statistics, which state that parents observed their children playing Fortnite on mobile often. (Sensor Tower, 2020)
• Fortnite is the first game that enabled cross-platform play between computers, consoles, and mobile devices. (dummies, 2019)
• The game earned over $700 million for the two years it was available to iOS users. (The Verge, 2021)
• That is only 7% of the total revenue of Epic Games’ Fortnite. (The Verge, 2021)
• PlayStation 4 brought in 46.8% of Fortnite’s overall revenue from March 2018 to July 2020. (The Verge, 2021)
• Xbox One generated 27.5% of the game’s revenue. (The Verge, 2021)
• The last 18.7% is split between other platforms: Android, Nintendo Switch, and PC. (The Verge, 2021)

Fortnite Revenue Statistics

One survey in June 2018 revealed that 69% of players spent money on Fortnite. Two years later, more players doled out money for in-game purchases, leading to an increase in the profits of the game.

• 77% of respondents said they made in-game purchases on Fortnite in 2020. This is an eight-point increase compared to the previous survey. This may be related to an increase in US online shopping spending on games, as shown in technology statistics. (LendEDU, 2020)
• The average spender shelled out $102.42. This is more than double the average expenditure of video gamers in 2020, according to technology addition statistics. (LendEDU, 2020)
• Average expenditure increased 21% between 2018 and 2020. (LendEDU, 2020)
• 58% of the total amount of in-game purchases was spent in the last 12 months. (LendEDU, 2020)
• 35% of in-game spenders did not know that their purchases did not give them an advantage in the game. (LendEDU, 2020)
• 34% of Fortnite spenders said it is the first game they spent money on. (LendEDU, 2020)
• In April 2020, Fortnite Mobile players spent $44.3 million for in-game purchases. (Sensor Tower, 2020)
• Fortnite earned more than $9 billion in its first two years. (IGN, 2021)
• Epic Games earned $5.628 million in 2018. (The Verge, 2021)
• In 2019, the company’s revenue hit $4.221 million. (The Verge, 2021)
• 2020 was the game maker’s biggest year so far, which brought them $5,100 in revenue. (The Verge, 2021)

Fortnite Security Statistics

Games are no stranger to security vulnerabilities. But that only means that developers have to tighten their security to protect players. In the case of Epic Games, it implemented two-factor authentication to double the protection of gamers. It also gives a reward to players who do this: 50 Armory Slots, 1 Legendary Troll Stash Llama, and the Boogiedown Emote. The following set of Fortnite statistics tell us more about the security issues of the game.

• Epic Games discovered a security flaw with its Android installer in 2018. This could trick people into downloading and installing a fake version of Fortnite, making them vulnerable to cyber threats. (CNET, 2019)
• 200 million users were left exposed because of a security flaw.  (CBS News, 2019)
• Epic Games has been the subject of a class-action lawsuit due to prevalent hacking in Fortnite in December 2018. (Green Man Gaming, 2019)
• V-Bucks, Fortnite’s in-game currency, is known to be used for money laundering by cybercriminals. (ZDNet, 2019)
• One cybersecurity organization gave Fortnite a 703/950 security rating. (UpGuard, 2021)
• Another company once detected 53,000 Fortnite scams. (ZeroFOX)
• Of those, 86% were generated from social media platforms, 11% from web domains, and around 2% from YouTube. (ZeroFOX)

And with Epic Games planning a metaverse for Fortnite, it is likely to be inundated by more security issues. Plus, once metaverse rolls out, players are likely to want to play it with AR or VR, a technology trend that is not going to die down any time soon. With that, there will be additional potholes that need to be covered.

How has Fortnite evolved over the years?

Fortnite has evolved significantly since its launch in 2017, transforming from a simple survival game into a complex and dynamic online experience. Here are some key aspects of this evolution:

• Gameplay Mechanics: Initially, Fortnite focused on its “Save the World” mode, where players fought against AI enemies. However, the introduction of the battle royale mode propelled its popularity. This shift emphasized competitive gameplay, building mechanics, and strategic combat, making it appealing to a broader audience.
• Map Changes: The Fortnite map has regularly transformed through seasonal updates and special events. From introducing new locations to destroying iconic areas, these changes keep the environment fresh and encourage players to adapt their strategies. Each season presents unique themes and gameplay elements, enhancing player engagement.
• In-Game Events: Epic Games has leveraged live events to create unforgettable experiences. Major events like the Travis Scott concert and the Marvel crossover have showcased the game’s ability to integrate music and pop culture, attracting millions of viewers and keeping the community buzzing.
• Collaborations and Crossovers: Fortnite has partnered with numerous franchises, including Marvel, Star Wars, and popular musicians, to create exclusive skins and events. These collaborations diversify the game’s offerings and tap into fan bases beyond the traditional gaming community.
• Community Feedback: Epic Games has prioritized player feedback, implementing changes based on community suggestions. This responsive approach fosters a sense of ownership among players, contributing to the game’s longevity.

The Royals of Fortnite: Battle Royale

The battle royale category of games already has stalwarts like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Steam statistics show that it is one of the most-played first-player shooter and battle royale games. There is also Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. But Fortnite has made its mark in the category and has been attracting players of all ages. A case in point is its youngest pro player, H1ghSky1. And the game’s players can be found on various platforms other than PC and Mac.

Fortnite statistics 2021 reveal that Epic Games’ brainchild is also one of the most-streamed games on Twitch as well as YouTube and Facebook. This only proves that it has a wide audience. There may be more coming, with technology adoption being accelerated by the pandemic. And through these streams, it may be winning over additional players. While not every registered user is active, 25 million daily active players out of 350 million registered accounts is still a lot.

But is that enough to keep Epic Games’ Fortnite… epic? That remains to be seen. After all, the game developer and publisher is still in a legal battle with Apple. Two and a half million daily active users of Fortnite played exclusively on iOS devices. That means when the tech company pulled the game from its App Store, it lost 10% of its audience. While it is not the biggest slice of pie lost, it still hurt Fortnite.

Key Insights

• Massive User Base: Fortnite boasts over 350 million registered users globally, with 25 million daily active users. The game saw an impressive peak of 78.3 million concurrent players in August 2018.
• Diverse Demographics: The majority of Fortnite players are young adults aged 18-24, with a significant portion of preteens in the US also engaged in the game. Notably, 72.4% of the player base is male.
• High Engagement: In April 2020 alone, players logged over 3.2 billion hours in the game, reflecting the high level of user engagement.
• Cross-Platform Availability: Fortnite is available on multiple platforms, including PC, Mac, consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch), and Android devices. It was the first game to enable cross-platform play among these devices.
• Substantial Revenue: Fortnite has earned over $9 billion in its first two years, with a significant portion of its revenue coming from in-game purchases. PlayStation 4 users contributed 46.8% of the overall revenue.
• Security Challenges: The game has faced several security issues, including a security flaw that exposed 200 million users and incidents of V-Bucks being used for money laundering. Epic Games has implemented two-factor authentication to enhance security.
• Streaming Popularity: Fortnite remains one of the most-watched games on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, with events like Travis Scott’s virtual concert drawing millions of viewers and accumulating significant hours of viewership.

FAQ

1. What platforms is Fortnite available on? Fortnite can be played on PC, Mac, PlayStation (PS4, PS4 Pro, PS4 Slim, PS5), Xbox (One, One S, One S All-Digital Edition, Series X|S), Nintendo Switch, and Android devices. It was the first game to enable cross-platform play among these devices.
2. How many people play Fortnite daily? Fortnite has approximately 25 million daily active users (DAU) out of its 350 million registered accounts.
3. What age group plays Fortnite the most? The majority of Fortnite players are young adults aged 18-24, accounting for 62.7% of the player base.
4. How much revenue has Fortnite generated? Fortnite has earned over $9 billion in its first two years, with substantial revenue coming from in-game purchases. In 2020 alone, Epic Games earned $5.1 billion from Fortnite.
5. What are some of the security issues Fortnite has faced? Fortnite has encountered several security issues, including a security flaw that exposed 200 million users and incidents of V-Bucks being used for money laundering. Epic Games has taken measures like implementing two-factor authentication to enhance security.
6. How popular is Fortnite in the streaming community? Fortnite remains one of the most-watched games on platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Gaming. In 2020, it was among the top 5 most-watched games globally.
7. What impact did the removal of Fortnite from the Apple App Store have? The removal of Fortnite from the Apple App Store resulted in a loss of 10% of its daily active users, which amounts to approximately 2.5 million players who played exclusively on iOS devices.
8. What are some of the most notable events in Fortnite? Notable events in Fortnite include the Doomsday event, which pulled more than 5 million concurrent viewers on YouTube and Twitch, and Travis Scott’s virtual concert, which accumulated over 8 million hours of viewership.
9. How much do players spend on average in Fortnite? On average, players spend $102.42 on in-game purchases, with 77% of respondents in a 2020 survey indicating that they have spent money on the game.
10. What is the gender distribution among Fortnite players? An overwhelming 72.4% of Fortnite players are male, indicating a significant gender disparity in the game’s player base.
11. What percentage of Fortnite players play the game on iOS? About 10% of Fortnite’s daily active users played exclusively on iOS devices before the game was removed from the Apple App Store.
12. What measures has Epic Games taken to improve Fortnite’s security? Epic Games has implemented two-factor authentication to enhance the security of player accounts and offers rewards like Armory Slots and the Boogiedown Emote to incentivize players to use this security feature.

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By Nestor Gilbert

Nestor Gilbert is a senior B2B and SaaS analyst and a core contributor at FinancesOnline for over 5 years. With his experience in software development and extensive knowledge of SaaS management, he writes mostly about emerging B2B technologies and their impact on the current business landscape. However, he also provides in-depth reviews on a wide range of software solutions to help businesses find suitable options for them. Through his work, he aims to help companies develop a more tech-forward approach to their operations and overcome their SaaS-related challenges.