The year 2020 proved to be a monumental period for video games. While the world worked at home and dealt with a pandemic, the human race turned to one activity that is suited for nearly everyone, video games. As 2020 came to a close, certain games excelled over others. Once again, Fortnite was included in the conversation.
Epic Games' worldwide phenomenon isn't at the level of popularity it was in 2017. Fortnite's numbers on Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube are no longer earth-shattering. The competitive scene is beginning to dwindle, as more professionals from the last few years are moving onto different projects, or retiring altogether. One thing that keeps bringing various demographics of players back is micro-transactions, and the numbers show.
Fortnite's player-base isn't what used to be, but according to SuperData, Epic Games remained in the top-10 of grossing games worldwide, on multiple platforms. Taking a deeper dive into the list gives more insight at what kind of games did well in December. CyperPunk 2077, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive landed in the top-1o as well, while Fortnite placed 8th on the platform.
SuperData separated PC from console and mobile gaming. Pokemon GO was no. 1 in gross earnings for December of 2020, while Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War topped the console charts. Fortnite placed 5th, while not appearing on the mobile ladder, mainly due to its lack of presence on the iTunes Store.
Further down in the article, SuperData reports Fortnite posted its highest earnings since August of 2020, and biggest player base since August of 2019. Epic Games' in-game live events always bring back a high number of players, especially content creators with large followings. Add collaborations with Marvel Comics, the Star Wars franchise, and The Walking Dead, and Fortnite players have numerous reasons to buy the Battle Pass and earn in-game items along the way.
Above all else, Epic Games wants Fortnite players to buy skins. It is a free game at its core, so the logical way to increase revenue is the consistent creative ways the developers create skins and emotes. Without a thriving competitive scene in 2021, Fortnite might rely on micro-transactions, if it wants to stay relevant in the mainstream gaming universe.
Call of Duty: Warzone is dominating the battle royal space and doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Despite Fortnite's great December, it's not all happiness at Epic Games currently. Within the last week, players have found an invisibility glitch in Fortnite that is reported to last indefinitely while in that match.
One of Fortnite's popular Season 5 back-blings, Baby Yoda, caused an in-game bug blocking players' ability to aim. At the end of the day, these are minor inconveniences in Epic Games' 3-plus year conquest of battle royal dominance. If that trend continues downward, months like Fortnite had in December of 2020 will be a rarity moving forward.
Of course, all of this could change at the beginning of a new season. When it seems like the game is starting to lose momentum, a new skin will come out that brings a big chunk of the player base back. Fortnite is known for adding and removing weapons, support items, or accessories. Even that method is guaranteed to shake the game up from time-to-time. It remains to be seen if Epic Games can catapult a strong end to 2020 into the new year.
Fortnite is free-to-play for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Sources:Â SuperData, Sportskeeda