Fortnite player distribution in the U.S. 2018, by gender
The rise of Fortnite
The meteoric rise of Fortnite can be seen no more clearly than in its registered user number. It recorded just one million users in its humble beginnings in August 2017, but this had soared to 250 million players by March 2019. The battle royale game is particularly loved by the younger generations – 62.7 percent of users in the U.S. were aged between 18 and 24, and a further 22.5 percent fell into the 25 to 34 age range. While the gameplay makes it easy to play just one game in a sitting, it seems that players are putting far more hours into their favorite game. Over 20 percent of Fortnite players admitted to spending over 16 hours a week playing the game and 17.3 percent stated that they played between 11 and 15 hours weekly.
Fortnite raking in the revenue
One of the biggest selling points of Fortnite is that it is free to play. This does not mean, however, that the developer, Epic Games, is not reaping the rewards for its hit game. Gamers can spend money on upgrades within the game for everything ranging from how their character looks to how they celebrate their victory. These in-game purchases were carried out by 68.8 percent of Fortnite gamers in the United States, with modifications to outfits or characters being the most popular choice. As a result of these purchases, Fortnite generated revenue of 318 million U.S. dollars in May 2018 alone, more than doubling the figure from February 2018.