Fortnite passes PUBG in monthly revenue

For the first time since Epic launched the battle royale mode for their Free-to-Play title Fortnite it has surpassed competitor PUBG (PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS) in monthly revenue generated.

Thanks largely to the mobile release of Fortnite, which currently only features the battle royale mode, the game has generated around $126 million over the course of the last month, according to industry analyst Superdata.

In Epic’s Fortnite Battle Royale mode players are parachuted onto a huge map, 100 at a time, and must find weapons and health to help them stay alive until the very end, and kill off other players. The parachuting concept is heavily borrowed from PUBG, but there are some major differences between the two titles.

PUBG is not a Free-to-Play title but also doesn’t push in-game purchases as much as Fortnite. In Fortnite players are able to purchase a Battle Pass which enables them to earn more cosmetic rewards as they level up each season. PUBG also has multiple maps, with a new one on the way, that contain vehicles for players to use to escape to the slowly closing safe zone. Fortnite is the only game of the two to include a building mechanic, which sees players breaking own objects in the world for materials which they then use later on to build impossible structures that will help them outlast any enemy players.

PUBG made around $103 million in purchases over the course of the month, but these will be one-time purchases of $30 each. Fortnite is able to generate a higher revenue for Epic thanks to the ongoing purchases of Battle Passes or in-game currency. With the launch of the mobile version of Fortnite it’s estimated that Epic has already generated $1.5 million in in-app purchases.

Fortnite has an advantage over PUBG as it is available on Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC. PUBG is exclusive to PC and Xbox One to its detriment, meaning a large portion of the console market is locked out from playing it for around about a year thanks to this exclusivity deal. Fortnite is also more appealing to younger audiences thanks to its cartoonish visuals, making the violence seem far less realistic and more enjoyable for a wider range of players.