History of Fortnite in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 16, 2026

Fortnite is a globally popular online video game developed by Epic Games, first released in 2017. Its primary mode, Battle Royale, tasks 100 players with scavenging for resources, building fortifications, and surviving against others until only one remains on an ever-shrinking map. The game is renowned for its vibrant, cartoonish aesthetic, frequent content updates, and a unique building mechanic that sets it apart from other titles in the shooter genre. Beyond traditional gameplay, Fortnite has evolved into a massive social platform, hosting high-profile virtual concerts, movie screenings, and collaborative brand crossovers. Free-to-play and available across consoles, PC, and mobile devices, it utilizes a seasonal battle pass model for monetization. With its cross-platform play and constant evolution, Fortnite has become a significant cultural phenomenon that transcends traditional gaming boundaries.

2011: Fortnite Internal Game Jam and Inception

Around 2011, the concept for Fortnite was born from an internal game jam at Epic Games following the release of Gears of War 3. The developers aimed to create a hybrid title that merged the construction mechanics of games like Minecraft and Terraria with the intensity of a shooter game, setting the foundation for what would eventually become Fortnite.

March 2017: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Release

In March 2017, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds was released, quickly becoming a global success by selling over 5 million copies in its first three months and driving massive interest in the battle royale gaming genre.

July 2017: Initial Early Access Launch

In July 2017, Epic Games launched Fortnite as a paid early access title to gather player feedback and refine the game experience.

August 2017: Save the World reaches one million players

In August 2017, the Save the World game mode reached a significant milestone by surpassing one million active players shortly before the launch of the Battle Royale mode.

September 2017: Fortnite Battle Royale Launch

In September 2017, Epic Games released Fortnite Battle Royale as a standalone free-to-play mode. The game saw rapid adoption, reaching over 10 million players within its first two weeks, eventually leading to its expansion across mobile devices and the Nintendo Switch.

2017: Launch of Fortnite

In 2017, Epic Games developed and officially released Fortnite, an online video game and platform that features multiple game modes including Battle Royale, Save the World, and Creative.

2017: Early Access Launch of Save the World and Battle Royale

In 2017, Epic Games launched both the Save the World and Battle Royale modes of Fortnite as early access titles.

2017: Fortnite Award Nominations 2017

In 2017, the video game Fortnite received industry recognition through nominations for "Best Co-op Game" from PC Gamer and "Best Spectator Game" from IGN.

March 2018: Record-Breaking Twitch Streaming Event

In March 2018, a major streaming event took place on Twitch featuring streamer Ninja playing Fortnite Battle Royale with celebrities including Drake, Travis Scott, Kim DotCom, and NFL player JuJu Smith-Schuster, setting a new viewership record for the platform.

June 2018: Fortnite Player Base Hits 125 Million

Following the release of the game on the Nintendo Switch platform, Fortnite reached a major milestone of 125 million players by June 2018.

June 2018: Fortnite Pro-Am at E3

In June 2018, Epic Games organized a Fortnite Battle Royale pro-am tournament at E3 2018, which featured 50 pairs consisting of streamers and professional players teamed up with various celebrities.

December 6, 2018: Release of Fortnite Creative

On December 6, 2018, Epic Games officially released the Creative mode for Fortnite, allowing players to build and design their own game worlds.

2018: Fortnite Award Wins and Nominations 2018

During 2018, Fortnite achieved significant acclaim by winning "Best Ongoing Game" awards from both PC Gamer and IGN, while also receiving multiple nominations from IGN for Nintendo Switch, mobile, and action game categories.

July 2019: Inaugural Fortnite World Cup

In July 2019, Epic Games held the first-ever Fortnite World Cup tournament, which featured a total prize pool of US$30 million, marking a major milestone for the game's esports scene.

December 2019: Fortnite Gross Revenue Milestone

As of December 2019, the Fortnite franchise reached a cumulative gross revenue of $9 billion, solidifying its status as one of the highest-grossing media franchises in history.

2019: Fortnite Cumulative Revenue Milestone

By the end of 2019, Fortnite had achieved a massive financial milestone, accumulating a total revenue of more than $9 billion.

2019: Original Free-to-Play Goal

Throughout 2019, Epic Games maintained their original roadmap goals for the title, which initially aimed to transition the game to a free-to-play model after the early access period.

June 29, 2020: Save the World Leaves Early Access

On June 29, 2020, Epic Games transitioned the Save the World mode out of its early access phase, establishing it as a premium title.

2020: Fortnite Championship Series Organization

In 2020, Epic Games continued to develop its competitive scene by organizing the Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) to foster professional play within the community.

2020: Epic Games V-Bucks Price Reduction and Antitrust Litigation

In 2020, Epic Games reduced the price of V-Bucks by 20% for direct purchases, while maintaining higher prices on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to protest their 30% revenue cuts. This action triggered the lawsuits Epic Games v. Apple and Epic Games v. Google, ultimately resulting in a legal requirement for Apple to allow third-party payment steering and a settlement with Google to lower store commission fees in 2020.

2021: Continuation of FNCS by Epic Games

Throughout 2021, Epic Games maintained its role as the primary organizer for the Fortnite Championship Series, solidifying the structure of their professional esports circuit.

2022: Transition of FNCS Management

Starting in 2022, the organizational responsibilities for the Fortnite Championship Series were transferred from Epic Games to the independent organizer Blast ApS.

March 2023: Launch of Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN)

In March 2023, Epic Games introduced the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), a powerful Windows-based toolset. This software, often referred to as "Creative 2.0", empowers creators to utilize Unreal Engine 5 technology alongside official Fortnite assets to design and build sophisticated new gameplay modes within the Fortnite Creative ecosystem.

October 2023: Fortnite Experiences Client Redesign

In October 2023, Epic Games overhauled the main Fortnite client interface to organize both Epic-developed modes and user-created content into a new system called Fortnite Experiences, adopting a presentation style similar to Roblox.

December 2023: Launch of New Epic-Developed Modes

During December 2023, Epic Games expanded the Fortnite ecosystem by launching three free-to-play modes: the survival game Lego Fortnite, the arcade driving game Rocket Racing, and the rhythm game Fortnite Festival.

2023: Initial V-Bucks Price Increase

In 2023, Epic Games increased the price of V-Bucks by approximately 12.5% to account for inflation, resulting in 1,000 V-Bucks costing $8.99 when purchased directly through the Epic storefront.

2023: Expansion of Progression Systems

In 2023, Fortnite expanded its game modes and introduced two new progression systems: the Festival Pass for Fortnite Festival and the Lego Pass for Lego Fortnite, requiring mode-specific progression to earn rewards.

March 2024: UEFN Platform Enhancements

In March 2024, significant updates were announced for Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), featuring the integration of MetaHuman technology for character rendering alongside new assets sourced from Lego, Rocket Racing, and Fall Guys.

December 2024: Restructuring of Progression Passes and Subscriptions

During December 2024, Epic Games implemented changes allowing the Festival Pass (renamed to Music Pass) and the Lego Pass to be leveled up via experience points earned in any mode. Additionally, the Fortnite Crew subscription service was expanded to include access to both the Music and Lego passes.

2025: Transition to UEFN Development

Epic Games declared their strategic goal in 2025 to transition the development of future Fortnite Battle Royale seasons entirely into the UEFN environment.

March 2026: Second V-Bucks Price Increase and Battle Pass Adjustment

In March 2026, Epic implemented a 20% price increase for V-Bucks, setting the cost at $10 for 800 V-Bucks. Additionally, the Battle Pass pricing was adjusted to 800 V-Bucks, with the reward structure modified to only allow players to recover the initial purchase cost, leading to widespread threats of a player boycott.

April 2026: Scheduled Free-to-Play Transition

Epic Games announced that, as of April 2026, the Save the World mode is scheduled to become free-to-play across the majority of console and computer platforms.

April 2026: Save the World Transition to Free-to-Play

In April 2026, the game mode Save the World officially shifted from a pay-to-play model to a free-to-play model, making all Fortnite modes accessible without an initial purchase.