Key Highlights:
- Epic Games paid $352m/£285.8m to Fortnite creators in 2024, an 11% increase from 2023.
- The number of creators using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) tripled from 24,000 to 70,000, publishing nearly 200,000 user-created islands.
- Creator-made games accounted for 36.5% of Fortnite’s total playtime, with players spending over 5 billion hours.
Epic Games’ $352m Payout to Fortnite Creators in 2024
In a significant milestone for Fortnite’s creator ecosystem, Epic Games announced it paid out a total of $352m (~£285.8m) to creators in 2024.
This represents an 11% increase compared to the previous year and highlights the growing success of the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN).
Epic’s year-in-review report revealed that 58 creators earned over $1m (~£812,045) each in 2024.
The number of creators in the ecosystem tripled from 24,000 in 2023 to 70,000 in 2024, a testament to the increasing accessibility and popularity of Fortnite’s creative tools.
Additionally, creators published nearly 200,000 user-generated islands, with over 137,000 developed using UEFN.
Growing Engagement With Creator Content
Fortnite players embraced the expanding universe of creator-made content. Epic Games reported:
- 5.23 billion hours spent in creator-made experiences, a 5% increase from 4.98 billion hours in 2023.
- Creator-made games accounted for 36.5% of Fortnite’s total playtime, up from 35% the previous year.
- Daily active player count for creator-made games rose by 15% compared to 2023.
Notably, non-combat game genres such as social roleplay, party games, deathruns, and horror saw meaningful growth.
In January 2025 alone, these genres constituted over 30% of time spent in creator-made experiences, a nearly 50% increase from the same period in 2024.
Expanding Creator Features and Capabilities
Epic Games continued enhancing UEFN capabilities in 2024, introducing features like:
- First-Person Camera
- Proximity Chat
- Custom NPCs
- Persistence Systems
- Improved UI tools and analytics
The Creator Portal also launched tools like Creator Profiles and audience analytics to help creators refine their strategies and better understand their player base.
Highlights of Popular Creator-Made Games
Several standout islands demonstrated the creative potential of UEFN in 2024:
- Fort Knight Legend by Love-is-Real showcased advanced RPG elements and immersive gameplay.
- Havoc Hotel 2 by TeraCreators pushed the boundaries of roguelike mechanics and retention.
- Lumberjack Heroes by ItsJacky featured engaging tycoon-style gameplay with custom UI.
- Pizza Shop Tycoon Boss Fight Update! by TomJank delivered a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-inspired experience.
- The Kraken: Bossfight by Gauntlet captivated players with its polished RPG mechanics and thrilling boss fights.
Fortnite Esports in 2024
Fortnite’s esports scene also experienced growth. The FNCS Global Championship recorded peak viewership of 809,000, an 80,000 increase from 2023. PeterBot and Pollo turned out to be the eventual winners in the Grand Finals.
Partnering with BLAST and NASCAR, Epic expanded its tournament ecosystem, while ESL FACEIT Group introduced alternative competitive modes using UEFN.
Epic Games has ambitious plans for 2025, including:
- Beta testing Scene Graph
- Introducing custom items
- Launching additional tools for more complex UEFN creations
Epic will also update its public creator roadmap later this month and provide deeper insights during Unreal Fest in June. With these initiatives, Fortnite aims to further empower creators and expand the possibilities of its ecosystem.
Source – Fortnite.com