In Fortnite: Battle Royale , it seems that 2020 is not going as well as in 2018 and 2019. A market research institute reports that revenues dropped sharply in January 2020 and are at their lowest point in over 2 years. However, Epic claims this is not true and harshly criticizes the institute.
This is the report: The market researchers from SuperData released their report on February 21 about the global digital revenues of top games (via SuperData). The numbers refer to January 2020.
Market researchers say: Fortnite’s revenue is declining
According to these numbers, Fortnite has already dropped out of the top 10 games on PC, and has fallen to 7th place on consoles (PS4, Xbox One, Switch) in terms of digital revenue.
Fortnite makes its money through sales of the seasonal Battle Pass and by selling skin packs. Additionally, Epic sells the virtual currency V-Bucks, which players can use to purchase new skins in the Fortnite cash shop.
It is said even: Revenues from Fortnite have consistently fallen and are at the lowest point since November 2017, the lowest level in over 2 years.
Epic says: They don’t know our revenue numbers at all
This is what Epic says: The operators of Epic contacted GamesIndustry.biz and stated:
SuperData has never had access to Epic’s revenue data for Fortnite. The reports from SuperData do not accurately reflect the revenues of Fortnite.
Epic says: They are disappointed that SuperData has repeatedly published “wildly inaccurate” reports about Fortnite, based on a methodology that they question at Epic.
Epic has not released revenue numbers for Fortnite and will not do so, but the reports from SuperData do not match reality. However, they do not refer to a specific report but keep it general.
This is what SuperData says: They state in a statement that their methodology is proven. They stand by their numbers.
This is what’s behind it: Fortnite had an extended season that began in October 2019 and ended in February 2020. During this time, Fortnite’s numbers on Twitch dropped significantly. These are the publicly measurable numbers that are known.
There are no current numbers on active players of Fortnite: The game is not on Steam. The Epic Game Store does not release player numbers.
However, on Twitch, Fortnite’s numbers fell to their lowest level in January 2020 since January 2018. It is likely that the declining interest is also reflected in declining revenue numbers, but this cannot be confirmed definitively. Apparently, SuperData assumes this. How they determine their numbers on digital revenues is ultimately a trade secret.
It is said that they have “data partnerships” and can analyze data from 160 million unique users worldwide every month and what they spend on digital games. They also receive data and reports from “big players”.
Apparently, Epic Games does not belong to these “big players”. The developers from North Carolina seem to be no fans of SuperData.
- It is noticeable that things got quieter around Fortnite in 2019 – 2018 ended with a big bang for Fortnite. Fortnite is said to have had a record month in December 2018. Among other things, with great skins in the shop.
- Also, the official player numbers that Epic mentioned in March 2019 were gigantic.
