Fortnite experienced its most turbulent year in 2025, swinging between record-breaking player counts and significant community discontent. The battle royale's peak player count regularly dipped below 1.5 million between June and November, PC Gamer reported, while simultaneously achieving a 10 million player milestone during the Chapter 6 finale Zero Hour event.
Epic Games expanded Fortnite's metaverse ambitions through multiple new permanent modes throughout the year. The company introduced Blitz Royale in June with mobile-focused short matches, followed by Delulu weekends-only mode with proximity voice chat and team betrayal mechanics. These joined the permanent OG mode revisiting Chapter 1, creating what GameSpot described as a "messy" but functional ecosystem where all modes maintained healthy concurrent player populations.
Creative mode produced its first genuine blockbuster with Steal the Brainrot, a licensed clone of one of Roblox's most popular modes. The map consistently averaged enough concurrent players to compete with Epic's official battle royale modes, prompting the company to promote it heavily in marketing and in-game news feeds. This success led Epic to plan V-Bucks transaction support for Unreal Editor creators, mirroring Roblox's monetization system.
Cosmetic innovations proved more successful than previous years' additions. Sidekicks - pets that follow players and react to in-game actions - became immediate hits despite customization limitations, while kicks (sneaker cosmetics) found steady adoption. These outperformed Chapter 5's cars and musical instruments, which struggled so much that Epic had to lower their 4,000 V-Bucks price points according to GameSpot.
Celebrity collaborations reached new intensity with 12 Icon Series skins released within Chapter 7's first month alone. Kim Kardashian's December 13 debut became the most popular skin in Chapter 7, worn by over 3.1 million players according to Game Rant data. Playboi Carti, Deadmau5, Daft Punk, Doja Cat, and Tyler the Creator all received Fortnite cosmetics in 2025, with director Zack Snyder publicly praising his Kardashian skin usage on Instagram.
AI integration sparked the year's most contentious debate. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney stated "AI will be involved in nearly all future production," while players discovered suspected AI-generated content including a Hatsune Miku jam track cover, questionable Chapter 7 artwork, and obscure licensed music. A Reddit poll showed over 80% of nearly 4,000 respondents believed generative AI "doesn't belong in Fortnite," according to PC Gamer.
Chapter 7 launched on November 29 with refreshed mechanics including ragdoll physics, self-revive capabilities, and drivable reboot vans. The Hollywood-themed season features a balanced loot pool with three solid shotguns and unique locations containing hidden secrets. Player counts have ticked back up following what PC Gamer called "bland and messy" Super and Shock 'N Awesome seasons earlier in 2025.
Looking toward 2026, leaks suggest major collaborations including Fallout, Ghostbusters, Fast & Furious, Devil May Cry, and James Bond skins. Taylor Swift remains the most requested artist despite stalled negotiations over creative ownership and image rights concerns, according to TalkEsport sources. Chapter 7 Season 1 runs until March 7, 2026, providing ample time for Epic to deploy these rumored crossovers.
The year demonstrated Epic's continued willingness to take creative risks nearly a decade into Fortnite's lifecycle. From AI experimentation to celebrity saturation and mode proliferation, 2025 solidified Fortnite's position as gaming's most volatile cultural phenomenon - simultaneously frustrating veterans while attracting new audiences through relentless innovation and controversy.
