How Fortnite Turns Players into Millionaires: $352M Paid Out in 2024

Fortnite is not only one of the most famous games but also one of the most successful from an economic standpoint. The in-game economic system, which includes the Battle Pass and cosmetic items, generates hundreds of millions in revenue annually for the developers. However, it's not just the developers benefiting financially—players themselves are also profiting from the game.

Epic Games, the developers of Fortnite, reported paying $352 million to content creators in 2024. This income was earned by creators who use Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) to design islands and mini-games. This record-breaking figure represents an 11% increase compared to the previous year.

What Makes This System Successful?

While Epic Games provides plenty of content, players often crave something unique and enjoy creating it themselves. Fortnite offers every player the opportunity to design their own islands and unique game modes, for which they can earn money if successful. This approach not only engages a larger audience but also makes the game more diverse and exciting while allowing players to profit from their favorite game.

A Look Back at 2024 in Fortnite

In addition to announcing total payouts, Epic Games revealed that 58 creators earned over $1 million from projects created using Epic Games' tools. This demonstrates that becoming a millionaire is possible by playing games—even without being an esports professional.

The number of creators also grew significantly, from 24,000 to 70,000, with nearly 200,000 user-created islands developed in 2024.

Thanks to expanded access to user-created projects, engagement with Fortnite Creative and UEFN projects also increased. Epic Games reported that the average daily number of players grew by 15% compared to 2023.

Additionally, the report highlighted that Fortnite players spent over five billion hours playing games created by authors. This accounts for approximately 36.5% of Fortnite’s total playtime in 2024. Without a doubt, 2024 was a remarkable year for Fortnite.