Fortnite’s Slowdown Has Epic Games Battling to Spark New Growth
Revenue has been sliding for the battle-royale juggernaut, whose maker is throwing money at fresh competitions
Fans cheer during the final of the solo competition at the 2019 Fortnite World Cup in New York.
Photographer: Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images
These should be heady times for Fortnite, the battle-royale shooting game that’s set the video-game industry reeling since its release two years ago.
Its publisher, closely held Epic Games Inc., held a much-talked-about World Cup tournament that attracted more than 40 million players and culminated at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York in late July. On Aug. 1, Fortnite launched its 10th iteration, an opportunity to sell more season passes and online gear for a game that took in an astounding $2.4 billion in revenue last year.