In December, Fortnite was played more on consoles than Call of Duty, FC 24, GTA 5 and Roblox combined. Xbox
As it prepares to celebrate its seventh anniversary this year, Fortnite has no intention of giving competition any leeway, quite the contrary. Last month, Epic Games’ Battle Royale had more players than any other behemoth on the console.
1.6 billion hours of gameplay were spent on Fortnite on consoles in December
According to research firm Ampere Analysis, console players will have spent more than 1.6 billion hours playing Fortnite in December 2023 alone. Thus, this impressive figure will be more than EA Sports FC 24, GTA 5 and the combined hours on consoles. GTA Online, Roblox and Call of Duty are bringing together Call of Duty: Warzone, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.
Several factors explain this commitment of Fortnite players, starting with the launch of Chapter 4 – Fortnite Original Season in November which increased Fortnite attendance by 146% in November compared to October. The following month, a new increase of 9% was recorded this time compared to November, mainly due to the introduction of LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing and Fortnite Festival in Fortnite.
Ampere Analysis expects “engagement to normalize in the coming months,” particularly due to the Lego Fortnite effect. The firm also believes that the return of Fortnite Original in 2024 will not allow Fortnite to beat its record number of players reached in November 2023.
As the novelty of Lego Fortnite wears off, Ampere expects engagement to return to normal in the coming months. However the confirmed 2024 return of Fortnite OG – the November 2023 content update that boosted the highest number of players ever – could see its absolute dominance continue.
This is obviously an impressive performance for an Epic Games game. It will be interesting to see if the rollout of updates to LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing and Fortnite Festival will be successful in attracting new players to reach greater heights.
