a half after its launch, “Fortnite Battle Royale” remains one of the world’s most popular games. Epic, the maker of the lighthearted online shooter, reported that 10.7m players watched an in-game concert on February 2nd by Marshmello, a. Concurrent player numbers regularly exceed 7m. Netflix says it views “Fortnite” as more of a competitor than video-streaming rivals like Hulu orThese days video games are mostly sold not in boxes but as digital downloads.
Nevertheless, Epic makes a credible contender. It is part-owned by Tencent, a Chinese gaming goliath. “Fortnite” has earned it bucketfuls of cash, which have been topped up with a recent injection of $1.25bn from private equity. It also has plenty of experience. Besides making games, Epic sells its “Unreal” video-game engine, a prefabricated framework around which developers can construct their own products. That gives the firm a good understanding of what developers want.