For Christmas, there are presents: Fortnite has apparently brought record revenues for developer Epic. On the iOS platform alone, the online shooter supposedly earned 69 million US dollars in December 2018. The reason is likely exceptionally sought-after skins.
This is what Fortnite did for Christmas: With the event “14 Days of Fortnite” starting December 19, Epic launched its Christmas Offensive:
- There were rotating, limited-time modes, such as the excellent “Teamscare”
- 14 daily challenges with rewards
- incredibly many special skins in the cash shop
- plus special packages with frozen skins directly for cash (featured image)
After July, revenues and hype actually leveled off
Fortnite was so successful on iOS in 2018: According to the website Sensor Tower, Fortnite earned approximately 455 million US dollars worldwide on iOS through the App Store in 2018.
December, with 69 million US dollars, was the most successful month to date. Compared to November, it was 83% higher.
According to Sensor Tower, players have reportedly spent 1.6 million dollars every day since the launch of Fortnite on iOS, leading to a total of 455 million dollars in 2018.
The previous record month of July was surpassed by 16%. In summer 2018, Fortnite seemed to be at its peak. Afterwards, revenues leveled off. The hype around the game also seemed to be slowly diminishing.
How did Epic earn so much money in December? In December, several things came together for Fortnite Battle Royale:
- On December 6, Season 7 started. There is a Battle Pass for about 10€, which is frequently purchased. Because it promises special rewards.
- Additionally, Epic offered especially “cool” skins for Christmas. They are then legendary and cost around 20€ – such as Krampus or Elsa.
- Many of these skins have accessories like gliders, pickaxes, or back bling, which also cost money.
- And special “packages” with exclusive skins are sold by Epic directly for real money.
Apparently, this combination ensured that December was a big gift for Epic.
That’s why it’s exciting: After Fortnite reached a peak in summer 2018, there were moments when it seemed that the hype was fading a bit.
At least the pure revenue is likely to have reached an all-time high during Christmas 2018. The fuss around events like Ninja’s New Year’s stream continues to be significant. The game still has room for growth.
Overall, Fortnite is said to have brought the developer over 3 billion US dollars in 2018.
