Fortnite is becoming a big money maker.
Epic GamesThe video game industry's biggest title is raking in the dough, a new report says.
Fortnite: Battle Royale, the cartoonish last-man-standing title that's free to download from Epic Games, is set to notch $3 billion in profit this year, according to a TechCrunch report Thursday, citing a person familiar with the company's finances. This comes after Epic was valued at more than $15 billion following a recent funding round, according to a September report in The Wall Street Journal.
An Epic spokesman declined to comment on either report. But the news would hardly be surprising. The game's mix of encouraging players to scrounge for supplies, build makeshift shelters and compete against others helped make it a pop culture phenomenon since its release in fall 2017, drawing attention of sports and pop superstars like singer Drake. Though the game is free to download, players pay for alternative looks for their characters, as well as optional celebratory moves and dances known as "emotes."
As of November, Epic said it counted more than 200 million players in its game, up 60 percent from the 125 million it notched in June.
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