Fortnite is like an unstoppable freight train that continues to plow through players’ wallets month after month. Despite controversial changes and additions to its insanely popular Battle Royale mode, it shows no signs of slowing down.
Even on mobile the game has been incredibly successful, with almost half a billion dollars made on iOS alone in 2018. A whopping $69 million of that was raked in during December, Fortnite’s best month so far on iOS, according to new data.
If you don’t play Fortnite, it’s easy to forget that it’s a free-to-play game. Anyone can download it on any platform and enjoying the complete Battle Royale experience without handing over a penny. And yet, players continue to spend more and more.
How does Fortnite make its money?
Their money goes on the countless outfits, dances, and other cosmetics sold through Fortnite’s in-game item shop. They grant no competitive advantage, but players buy them anyway — just to look good during matches.
Those outfits can cost as much as $20 apiece, but Epic also sells an incredibly affordable Battle Pass, which offers more than 100 rewards — including skins and emotes — every 60 days for those who complete challenges and level up their accounts.
Sensor Tower estimates that Fortnite made creator Epic Games a whopping $3 billion in profit in 2018. Even on iOS, where in-game V-Bucks cost more as a result of Apple’s 30 percent cut on purchases, the game is earning a fortune.
Fortnite raked in $455 million on iOS alone
The latest Sensor Tower data indicates Fortnite grossed more than $455 million on iOS during 2018. Given that the game didn’t launch until March — and was initially available only to those who had an invitation — that figure is even more impressive.
Fortnite’s most successful month on the App Store was previously July, when it made an estimated $59.3 million. But it did even better than that in December, when it grossed nearly $69 million after surpassing 82.6 million downloads.
On average, players on iOS spent around $1.6 million per day between Fortnite’s launch and December 31, 2018, Sensor Tower says. One of its biggest rivals, PUBG Mobile, which also launched in March, made just $100 million on Apple’s platform.
