What you need to know
- Epic just released Fortnite: Chapter 2, which introduced a new map.
- Fortnite's revenue fell 43% in September 2019.
- Digital spending on games was down across the board for last month.
Epic's mega hit stumbled last month as it took a 43% decline in digital revenue according to Superdata's estimates (via GamesIndustry.biz). After spending the month of August in the top spot for revenue on consoles, it fell to seventh the following month. This is its worst month of sales since November 2017.
This news comes shortly after Epic took Fortnite offline for a couple of days before releasing Fortnite: Chapter 2 in the middle of October. Fortnite: Chapter 2 added an entirely new map for the first time since the game's initial release. Previously, the old map would undergo constant changes to its landscape during various seasons. It will be interesting to see what kind of rebound effect Chapter 2 will have on the game's revenue.
Superdata also reported that digital revenue across the board was down in September, dropping 1% to $8.9 billion. 1% may seem like a small number, but it comes out to millions of dollars. Revenue always ebbs and flows over the year, so this isn't necessarily cause for concern. It will likely pick back up as we get closer to the holiday season.
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Jennifer Locke has been playing video games nearly her entire life, and is very happy Xbox is growing a stronger first-party portfolio. You can find her obsessing over Star Wars and other geeky things on Twitter @JenLocke95.
