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At today’s State of Unreal GDC, Epic Games announced that 40% of the total net revenue generated by the Fortnite Item Store and “related real money purchases” it will be giving away to eligible Fortnite content creators through a program it calls “Creator Economy 2.0”. The new system will exist alongside the Support-A-Creator program, which is “returning to its roots as an affiliate marketing program for streamers and social media content creators.”
Money in the economy appears due to the spending of players in the item shop. Fortnite generates billions of dollars a year in player purchase revenue. Fortnite players who have fun on the islands tend to spend more in the item shop. The creators who create popular islands are bringing real value to the Fortnite ecosystem, and we’re going to share the revenue with them.
A detailed description of the system is available Here, but in a nutshell, 40% of the total net income generated from the Fortnite item store and “real money related purchases” will be placed in an “engagement pool” that will be distributed to eligible content creators on a monthly basis. These include “legal entities such as companies” and island creators over 18, although Epic is looking to open the program to younger island creators as well.
The actual earnings distributed each month will vary depending on a number of factors:
- Real money spent on Fortnite
- Buying V-Bucks
- Real money transactions (starter packs, quest packs, cosmetics)
- Fortnite Crew Subscriptions
The existing Support-A-Creator program, which debuted in 2018 as a way for fans to support their favorite creators, will continue to exist as an affiliate program for streamers and social media content creators. But it will be removed from the Fortnite islands because, according to Epic, it is no longer needed: “Now players can show support for the islands of their favorite creators simply by playing on them.”
This new system is “transformative” for Fortnite island creators, but Epic believes there will be spin-off benefits for players as well.
The benefit of the new approach is rooted in fun and rewards everyone’s creative work – both yours and Epic’s. There is no need to develop tricky monetization loops or withdrawal methods. You create an island that players love – that’s all you need to be part of the new economy.
The Creator Economy 2.0 program has already been launched. To find out more about what’s included or sign up for the promotion, go to to the island creator program page.