Fortnite: a great game and an even better business model. Fortnite has taken the video game market by storm, becoming easily the most popular current game in a matter of months. Here are the reasons why Fortnite’s genius design has skyrocketed both its popularity and profits.

First, and maybe most pinnacle to its success, Fortnite is a free game. This may sound like a poor business decision but is instead the smartest one they, Epic Games, could have made. Fortnite is available on Xbox, Playstation, and PC, giving everyone in the videogame community access to it. As a result, Fortnite has become more of a social trend than just a game; everyone who is not already playing wants to start right away and is able to due to the price (or lack there of). Fortnite has consequently spread like a virus to all active gamers.

“So how do they profit?” you may be asking. In-app-purchases are the sole form of Fortnite’s income. While this may sound ineffective, usually a tactic known to be limited to mobile games for kids, it has performed with tremendous success. Because the game is free, people of all skill level have downloaded and begun playing, filling lobbies with some players who have no idea what they are doing. Better players, craving recognition for their skill, purchase different costumes, harvesting tools, and dances to set themselves apart. Some players even try to collect skins as they release as some might collect trading cards. Looking for more ways to profit, Epic has rolled out new purchasable parts of the Fortnite avatar, such as back swag and trails, only increasing the amount of things people feel inclined to buy. These seemingly worthless cosmetic features have pretty high prices, some as high as 20 dollars of in game currency (V-bucks), making a once unprofitable game profitable thanks to the craze Fortnite has caused.

Furthermore, Fortnite offers new and exciting updates almost every week. These updates can include additions of new weapons, new game modes, and more. In late January, Epic updated the layout of the map, adding a dozen new cities and places of interest on a once barren western half of the island. This update brought interest and excitement at an unprecedented level; even those not playing Fortnite may have heard about it. The continuous stream of new content is another reason players of Fortnite became hooked. No one knows what Epic Games will bring to the game next with such limitless possibilities afoot. Each new update changes the way players think about the game, introducing new strategies and goofy ways of winning. From the consistency of Fortnite’s constant influx of new content, it seems Epic may have months of updates already lined up, waiting to be made public. Because of this, Fortnite will stay fresh to its players where other games may become stale overtime.

Finally, Fortnite allows people to play with their friends. Although this is a common feature of many games, Fortnite style of play enhances this experience in a way many other games do not. By choosing duos mode or squads mode, players enter into a game of 100 people all in teams of two or four of their own friends. Egaging into a four versus four fight is intense and requires ample communication. No other game in recent memory brings people together or features such a high quality multiplayer mode as Fortnite does. The enhanced social aspect woven into Fortnite is one reason it has garnered popularity and will continue to thrive as other multiplayer games, like Madden, FIFA, Call of Duty, and many others have.

In conclusion, Fortnite’s success, which is a result of many factors, will only continue to grow. Its popularity both as a game and in culture has only risen since its birth and looks like it can continue to rise without bound. Most importantly, it has provided a platform for people to play together from anywhere in the world, ranging from your neighbor to someone on the opposite side of the globe. The release of its P v E gamemode, where players defend a base similar to COD Black Ops: Zombies, will only increase this limitless potential; it is speculated to launch mid-2018. Fortnite is both an amazing game and an amazing business model.