Fortnite was an unstoppable force in 2018. And throughout the year, the only game you could really compare it to was itself. While the battle royale shooter was making tons of money each and every month, it did see a peak in July — at least on iOS. But that all changed in December when the game generated $69 million in revenue on Apple’s mobile operating system alone, according to intelligence firm Sensor Tower.
December was Fortnite’s biggest month on iOS ever. In terms of revenue, it was up 83 percent over November and up 16 percent over the previous top month of July.
“All told, the game grossed more than $455 million during 2018 on Apple’s App Store,” Sensor Tower founder Oliver Yeh wrote in a blog post. “[That’s] on top of the revenue it took in on Android after its publisher opted to make an end run around Google Play. On average, players spent about $1.6 million per day in the game between launch and December 31.”
Fortnite’s battle royale competitor PUBG Mobile, however, generated nearly $100 million in revenue in total last year. That was less than a quarter of what Fortnite made — although it’s worth pointing out that PUBG Mobile does not have a license to generate money in China where it is extremely popular. That country recently began approving games licenses again after a freeze that started in March, so PUBG Mobile may finally get the right to charge Chinese players
But back to Fortnite, the game also dominated with its player acquisition in December as well.
“New installs of Fortnite on iOS last month were also way up over November, climbing 59 percent month-over-month to more than 5.2 million,” reads Yeh’s blog. “With December’s figures, Fortnite has reached 82.6 million all-time downloads on Apple’s platform.”
Simply having a wonderful Fortnite time
In August, the analysts at SuperData Research predicted that Fortnite’s revenue had peaked. SuperData was beginning to see a downward trend in its estimations for Fortnite’s performance. At that time, I wrote an explanation for why Fortnite’s peak was yet to come.
You see, Christmas exists. And that gift-giving holiday is one of the biggest days of the year for free-to-play games — especially on mobile. People get new smartphones, tablets, and consoles for Christmas, and they almost always search for new games to play.
On top of that, developers typically plan holiday events to capitalize on that influx of new and returning players. In…
Popular Fortnite Merch
- DART BLASTING FORTNITE BLASTER REPLICA: This AR L blaster is inspired by the blaster used in Fortnite, capturing the look and colors of the one in the popular video game
- MOTORIZED 10 DART BLASTING: Blast 10 darts from this motorized blaster that has an acceleration button to power up the motor (batteries required, not included)
- 20 DARTS AND 10 DART CLIP: Includes a 10 dart clip and 20 Official Nerf Elite darts.To ensure proper use of AR L blaster ensure access door is fully closed before use. Make sure clip is inserted fully...
- Jenga game with a Fortnite twist: It's an exciting Jenga game with artwork, themes, and characters inspired by the popular Fortnite online video game
- Spin, stack, climb: Players spin the spinner and follow the commands: the number and type of Blocks to stack, and how many layers their Fortnite character must climb
- Don't fall short: Players move their own pegs up and their opponents' Pegs down as they remove and stack blocks. But if the tower falls As they climb or stack -- it's game over for them
- Practice your aim with this targeting set: this set includes an spmrnum-r blaster, 6 darts and 3 llama targets so you can practice your aim or play competitive games with family and friends
- Includes 3 llama targets: comes with 3 llama targets in different sizes to set up exciting games that challenge skills and test aim and accuracy
- Dart-blasting Fortnite blaster replica: this spmrnum-r blaster is inspired by the blaster used in Fortnite, capturing the look and colors of the one in the popular video game
- Dart-blasting replica of the Fortnite blaster: this its blaster is inspired by the blaster used in the popular Fortnite video game
- Pump-action 4-dart blasting: blast 4 darts in a row from this 4-dart, pump-action blaster that's hand-powered by you (no batteries required)
- 8 darts and storage stock: includes 8 official Nerf Mega darts and has storage on the stock for 4 darts, so you can keep backup darts nearby for fast reloading
- Super-Soft, Huggable Plush for All Ages
- High-Quality Materials
- Collectible Rare Loot Llama
- Unique Rocket Battle Royale gameplay.
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- Epic Games
- Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Paperback: 112 pages
- Measures 14 inches tall and includes 23 pieces-9 weapons, 4 Back Bling, 8 exclusive building materials and a llama float that fits many 4" Fortnite action figures! Plus, it's pre-filled with a 4-inch...
- Giddy-Up features 25+ points of articulation and highly detailed decoration inspired by one of the most popular outfits from Epic Games' Fortnite.
- Bursting with colorful confetti, reveal your loot by tearing open your Llama to see a War Paint figure and a bunch of cool accessories.
- Ragnarok, Rex, Cuddle Team Leader and Brite Bomber 4" action figures - inspired by four of the most popular outfits from Epic Games' Fortnite.
- 19 points of articulation
- Highly detailed decoration