Fortnite remains huge. Make no mistakes, and make no misinterpretations. It's still a cultural phenomenon, coming nine years after its original launch. Kids talk about it all the time. Even adults can't get enough of it. But it is somewhat dull; We now have the data to demonstrate that fact.
In 2025, first-party games on the Epic Games Store declined by 14 percent. Fortnite was coming into a super-hot 2024, and down 14 percent from the original any Year Fortnite is still an envy-inducing dream world for every live-service title not named Roblox on the market. Still, it begs the question – if this trend continues, how long before the drops really start to take their toll? Is that what we're seeing here, or something beyond that instead?
Big is little
It's worth emphasizing here that we're talking about all first-party games on EGS. One might think that this is a paradigm shift; In fact, Fortnite plays such a large role in those numbers that it's not a leap in logic to assume that its own drop is somewhat equivalent. Still, to get in touch with Epic Games Store Vice President Steve Ellison, the good folks at Eurogamer wouldn't do well to publish anything without a more cemented position.
“It is the logical conclusion of the hour [played]. But you have to remember that Fortnite is coming off one of its best years ever on PC. [Fortnite] Still remains the world's greatest game on many fronts.” – Steve Ellison, to Eurogamer
Alison Straight-Up noted that “the conclusion is fair and accurate” that the 2025 drop in Fortnite playtime offset EGS's position compared to 2024. So, while we don't know the exact figure, we have all the sources straight from the source to conclude that things have taken a slight turn for the worse. Still, Ellison rightly points out that Fortnite remains in a league of its own; And, while we'd expect any businessperson in his position to get those words, it's not like anyone would disagree.
What does it all mean? Bottom-lining it, Fortnite isn't going anywhere for a very long time. 2025 might otherwise have been a blip on the upward scaling radar. It has earned crores upon crores in millions of dollars for Epic last year, and ultimately, that's what counts. But in a world where, as they say, “the numbers have to go up,” a small dip may be enough to scare off some investors. Because that's how it always goes, you know.
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But there is a (very) bright side.
