It’s pretty hard to compete with Fortnite. The battle royale game has become an absolute monster over the last few years, and while the game is a free-to-play title, players are apparently spending quite a bit of money on the game. More so, in fact, than any other game. This stat would be impressive enough on its own, but this is the second year in a row that Fortnite has accomplished this feat. According to industry tracker SuperData, the game pulled in $1.8 billion in 2019. The number is actually less than Fortnite’s $2.4 billion intake in 2018, but it’s still an incredible feat.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Despite that slight drop-off, digital sales for the video game industry increased by 4% over the previous year. Fortnite beat out titles such as League of Legends ($1.5 billion), Pokemon Go ($1.4 billion) and Last Shelter: Survival ($1.2 billion). At this point, it’s clear that the free-to-play model has proven quite lucrative for the industry.
Fortnite‘s success has translated to some surprising tie-ins with the film industry, as studios look to cash-in on the craze. A John Wick skin was made available to coincide with the release of John Wick 3, and a multi-faceted Star Wars tie-in gave the game new skins, new gliders, and even the airing of an exclusive clip less than a week before the film’s premiere. While film and video game tie-ins have existed since the infancy of the video game industry, this sort-of crossover is simply unparalleled, and it shows the level of faith that companies like Disney have in the continued growth of the game.
It’s also important to note that these numbers only account for digital dollars, which means nothing outside the games themselves. Since the title’s release in 2017, Fortnite has become a pop culture juggernaut, with t-shirts, action figures and Halloween costumes offered throughout online and retail stores. Few of the other games on SuperData’s list can account for that same amount of merchandising, putting Epic Games‘ title in a league of its own, with no real signs of slowing down. As 2020 begins, it will be interesting to see if the game can continue at this pace.
Did you spend money on Fortnite in 2019? What digital games did you spend money on? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
