What is Fortnite?
Fortnite is a collection of online games that share one client, one account system and one wardrobe of cosmetic items. Its flagship mode, Battle Royale, drops up to 100 players from a flying Battle Bus onto an island, where they scavenge weapons and materials, build cover or play without building in Zero Build, and fight to be the last player or team standing as a storm shrinks the playable area. Epic changes the map, weapons and story every season and runs variants such as Reload, which lets eliminated players return, and OG, which revives the original map.
Since 2023 Epic has presented Fortnite as a platform rather than a single game. Players choose from Epic-made experiences such as Lego Fortnite, a survival and social sandbox built with the Lego Group, and Fortnite Festival, a rhythm game from Harmonix, alongside islands published by independent creators with Fortnite Creative and Unreal Editor for Fortnite, a version of Unreal Engine. Creators earn payouts based on how much their islands are played and, since 2025, can sell their own in-game items. Epic reported that creator-made islands accounted for 36.5 percent of time played in Fortnite in 2024.
Fortnite runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and mobile devices, with cross-play and shared progress. Apple and Google removed it from their app stores in 2020 during Epic’s legal fight over store fees; it returned to the US App Store in May 2025, is available to iPhone users in the European Union through the Epic Games Store, and came back to Google Play worldwide in March 2026. In 2026 Epic also raised V-Bucks prices, made the Save the World campaign free for most PC and console players and shut down lower-engagement modes such as Fortnite Ballistic.
Key features of Fortnite
- 01
Battle Royale
Up to 100 players compete solo, in duos or in squads on a shrinking island, with Zero Build, Ranked, Reload and OG variants offering different rules and maps.
- 02
Building mechanics
Players harvest materials to raise walls, ramps and floors in seconds during fights, a signature mechanic that Zero Build modes remove for players who prefer straightforward shooting.
- 03
Unreal Editor for Fortnite
Creators use a version of the Unreal Editor and the Verse programming language to build custom islands with their own rules, art and logic, then publish them inside Fortnite.
- 04
Creator payouts and item sales
Island creators receive engagement-based payouts funded by Fortnite’s revenue and, since 2025, can sell in-game items for V-Bucks inside their own experiences.
- 05
Lego Fortnite and Festival
Epic’s own experiences include Lego Fortnite Odyssey and Brick Life, built with the Lego Group, and Fortnite Festival, a Harmonix rhythm game played with licensed hit songs.
- 06
Seasons and battle passes
The game changes through seasons that add map updates, weapons, story events and cosmetic rewards, earned by leveling up passes with experience from any mode.
- 07
Cross-platform play
One Epic account carries progress, friends and purchased cosmetics across PC, consoles and mobile devices, and players on different platforms can join the same matches.
- 08
Live events and collaborations
In-game concerts, story events and licensed collaborations bring characters and artists from film, music and sports into the game, including characters from Disney franchises such as Star Wars.
Who uses Fortnite?
- Players drop into Battle Royale matches alone or with friends for competitive shooting and building.
- Independent developers build and publish games with Unreal Editor for Fortnite, earning money from engagement payouts and in-game item sales.
- Musicians, brands and entertainment companies stage in-game concerts, collaborations and branded islands to reach Fortnite’s audience.
- Competitive players take part in ranked play and Fortnite Champion Series tournaments with cash prize pools.
- Groups of friends use Lego Fortnite, Fortnite Festival and social islands as shared spaces to build, play music and spend time together.
History of Fortnite
Fortnite grew out of an internal Epic game jam around 2011 as a mix of construction and shooting, and its development stretched over several years as the team switched engines and reworked the art style. Epic released the cooperative Save the World campaign as a paid early access game in July 2017. After watching the rise of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Epic built a battle royale mode in about two months and released it free in September 2017. It passed 125 million players by June 2018, and Fortnite generated more than $9 billion in revenue by the end of 2019.
Fortnite Creative arrived in December 2018, and in August 2020 Apple and Google pulled the game from their stores. Epic Games released Unreal Editor for Fortnite in March 2023 and added Lego Fortnite, Fortnite Festival and Rocket Racing that December as the client was redesigned around many experiences. After engagement fell in 2025, Epic laid off more than 1,000 employees in March 2026, raised V-Bucks prices and closed several modes, while pinning hopes for a revival on new content, including its partnership with Disney.
- 2017
Save the World enters paid early access in July, and the free Battle Royale mode launches in September.
- 2018
Fortnite Creative launches on December 6, giving players private islands to build on.
- 2019
Epic holds the first Fortnite World Cup with a $30 million prize pool.
- 2020
Apple and Google remove Fortnite from their app stores after Epic adds direct payments.
- 2023
Unreal Editor for Fortnite is released in March, and Lego Fortnite and Fortnite Festival arrive in December.
- 2025
Fortnite returns to the US App Store on May 20.
- 2026
Fortnite returns to Google Play worldwide, and Save the World becomes free for most PC and console players.
Fortnite pricing
Pricing modelFree-to-play
Free to play; Epic sells V-Bucks for cosmetic items and battle passes, offers a monthly Fortnite Crew subscription and shares revenue with island creators.
Prices change often. Check the official Fortnite website for current plans.
Fortnite alternatives
Well-known alternativesRoblox, Minecraft, Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends and PUBG: Battlegrounds
Fortnite: frequently asked questions
Who makes Fortnite?
Fortnite is made by Epic Games, the Cary, North Carolina, company founded by Tim Sweeney, which also develops Unreal Engine and runs the Epic Games Store. Some modes come from Epic-owned studios, such as Fortnite Festival from Harmonix, and independent creators build many of the islands available in the game.
What is Fortnite used for?
Fortnite is used mainly for playing online games with friends, above all its 100-player Battle Royale mode. It also serves as a creation platform where developers publish their own games, as a social space for concerts and live events, and as a venue for brand and entertainment collaborations.
Is Fortnite free?
Yes. Fortnite is free to download and play on all supported platforms, and since April 2026 its Save the World campaign has also been free for most PC and console players. Epic earns money by selling V-Bucks, an in-game currency used for cosmetic items and battle passes, and through the optional Fortnite Crew subscription.
When was Fortnite released?
Fortnite was released in July 2017, when its Save the World mode entered paid early access. The free Battle Royale mode followed in September 2017, the Creative sandbox in December 2018 and Unreal Editor for Fortnite, which lets creators build their own games, in March 2023.
Is Fortnite available on iPhone?
Yes, in several markets, including the United States and the European Union. Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store in 2020 during Epic’s antitrust dispute, but the game returned to the US App Store in May 2025 after a court ruling in Epic’s favor. Players in the EU can install it on iPhones through the Epic Games Store.
What is Unreal Editor for Fortnite?
Unreal Editor for Fortnite, or UEFN, is a Windows application released in March 2023 that lets creators build Fortnite islands with Unreal Engine tools and Epic’s Verse programming language. Creators publish their games inside Fortnite and can earn money through engagement payouts and in-game item sales.
Sources
- Fortnite, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Epic Games, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Disney and Epic Games to Create Expansive and Open Games and Entertainment Universe Connected to Fortnite thewaltdisneycompany.com
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