Fortnite encompasses every possible aesthetic, crossover and even game mode that you can imagine, and that wide coverage is only set to expand as it further embraces creator content
Epic Games allows creators their own “Fortnite Islands” and have done since 2018, but it’s only recently that the true scope of fan-made modes has come into focus, with over 11.2 billion hours spent across 260,000 creator-made islands, resulting in $722,000,000 paid to creators.
Now, in an attempt to rival Roblox, creators will be handed the ability to sell their own in-game items through their Islands, which is a money-making opportunity for them, but perhaps a cause for concern among some fans of the game.
Selling In-Game Items on Fortnite
To encourage creators to start developing their own content and make the most of this scheme, Epic is changing the rate of equivalent “V Bucks” (Fortnite’s currency) value that a creator earns from sales from 50% to 100% at the beginning of this scheme, lasting through to the end of 2026.
This will no doubt encourage creators to be as prolific as possible, especially if they also participate in the “sponsored Row” taking place in November wherein they can pay money to increase their visibility ahead of these changes going live in December.
Concerns For Fortnite Fans
The source of concern among audiences is multi-faceted. One of the larger issues is that this is an opportunity for much greater monetisation, around an area of the game that has always been free and arguably a focus of community passion for the game.
In addition to this, many are concerned that this will lead to a greater deluge of AI-produced content flooding these marketplaces and Fortnite Islands in a low-effort attempt to make money.
AI in Game Development
The creeping presence of AI in gaming is raising some concerns – though it’s largely due to the reliance on it by developers and studios, such as the recent controversy of Aspyr using French AI voiceovers in their Tomb Raider remakes.
Here, though, it seems to be an exacerbation of a problem that some feel is already plaguing the Fortnite marketplaces.
