Two weeks ago, Epic Games did the unimaginable, sending one of the world’s most popular and actively played online multiplayer video games into a black hole.
For nearly 48 hours, Fortnite went dark. Somehow, for nearly 48 hours, people kept paying attention.
Out of the darkness came a brand new look and feel for the already beloved video game — and apparently record-breaking numbers, too.
The black hole event, officially entitled “The End”, resulted in jaw-dropping concurrent viewership numbers on major social platforms Twitch, Twitter, and YouTube. More than seven million players tuned in at the same time to figure out what was happening — or perhaps see what was coming next.
Epic Games confirmed that their unprecedented move garnered more than 1.7 million views on Twitch streams, including both the official game stream and creator-owned streams.
Twitter had 42.8 million views, tallying approximately 50.7 million minutes watched. Viewership on this platform peaked with 1.4 million users watching simultaneously.
YouTube saw 4.3 million users watching the (non-)event concurrently across all of its channels.
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Fortnite has been on a tear since its launch in 2017. Thanks to its quirky, cartoony aesthetic and fast-paced action, the battle royale title has caught the imagination and passion of hundreds of millions of players and fans worldwide.
The latest official numbers place Fortnite’s total player count at 250 million — and that figure was from back in March 2019.
“The End” was one of the boldest online video game events we’ve ever witnessed to date. And with viewership numbers now revealed, it’s officially one of the biggest.
It was a gamble that paid off big time for Epic Games — a statement that has proven just how strong Fortnite’s hold over its loyal global player and fanbase is.
There’s never been a better time to check out Fortnite. “The End” served as the most fitting launch pad for its 11th season, which officially marked the start of the game’s “Chapter 2”. Its latest limited-time event mode, Fortnitemares, also just went live yesterday, offering a spooky, Halloween-themed twist to Fortnite’s signature brand of battle royale fun.
READ MORE: Fortnite Chapter 2: Absolutely everything you need to know
