Fortnite Faces Lowest Player Count in Two Years: What’s Next for the Battle Royale Giant?

The popular battle royale game Fortnite, developed by Epic Games, is facing major hardship related to its viewership in recent years. Even after steady updates, substantial collaborations, and a loyal esports community. Fortnite has registered its lowest average players in the last two years. With numbers dropping below 1 million for the first time since 2023. This raises concerns about Fortnite’s long-term viability and questions about its future plans.

Declining Users Despite Major Collaborations

As per the data provided by Fortnite.gg, the average player count of the game for the last 30 days has declined to 994,711.

This is one of the lowest engagement rates since May of 2023, when it was at 927,403.

According to the data, the decline in user engagement started at the end of December 2024.

When the game was recording an impressive active player number of 2.1 million.

Then the following months, user engagement also declined, regardless of big collaborations like the Star Wars-themed ‘Death Star Sabotage’ event.

Most critics believe that even after the graphical refinements are made, they do not help in retaining users in the long term. Epic Games’ Fortnite has tried to change the experience through the game’s evolving creative and zero build modes. Some players argue that the stagnant core mechanics after so many years of changes are the reason for the decline in interest, while others disagree with this.

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Hopes in New Updates

Although there has been a decline in the number of players, Fortnite still boasts a lively esports ecosystem. The 2025 FNCS Pro-Am tournament had a peak viewership of more than 600,000, indicating that there is still interest in the competitive side of things. Despite casual engagement continuing to decrease, the open tournament format ensures that players remain active competitively.

All eyes are on the June 7, 2025, launch date for the Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 update. It is speculated that it will offer crossovers with superhero franchises, feature mini “Simpsons” seasons, and overhaul some game modes. If the changes are more than superficial changes, adding to the meaningful shift in gameplay instead of just visuals, then these additions stand to help regain the audience.