Epic Games has celebrated the launch of Fortnite’s new The Simpsons mini-season, which it says has welcomed “the most important variety of new and returning Fortnite gamers since final vacation season.”
Public participant knowledge tracked by Fortnite.gg exhibits {that a} peak of two.6 million gamers logged on each Saturday and Sunday, firstly to observe the stay occasion that launched The Simpsons aliens Kang and Kodos to Fortnite’s battle royale Island, and secondly to then play on the sport’s new Springfield map when it got here on-line.
The stay occasion noticed Fortnite’s heroes scooped up in a UFO and transported to Springfield Island, a mash-up of Fortnite and The Simpsons crammed with acquainted places and Easter eggs from the long-running animated collection. Fan response to the brand new season and its highly-detailed map has been optimistic, and Epic Games appears happy with participant numbers.
“In 48 hours, we welcomed the most important variety of new and returning Fortnite gamers since final vacation season,” the developer wrote in a social media post. “The first Fortnite | The Simpsons brief popped to #1 on Disney+ at this time within the US. Transfer over Shelbyville…”
Fortnite’s participant numbers have dipped considerably this 12 months, amid powerful competitors from Roblox and a string of battle royale seasons that really feel like they have not landed with followers fairly as anticipated. In September, in the course of the recreation’s alien bug season, the sport’s common day by day numbers briefly sagged to round half one million gamers, although participant counts then rallied as Fortnite started its annual Halloween celebrations.
Whereas 2.6 million gamers this previous weekend is spectacular, Fortnite has recorded a number of increased participant spikes this 12 months for different occasions. A peak of 5.7 million gamers logged in on June 7 for Dying Star Sabotage, the sport’s stay occasion that served as the finale of its Star Wars mini-season. Fortnite additionally noticed a spike to three.9 million gamers on August 2 for its superhero season finale, and three.3 million gamers for the launch of its Daft Punk Expertise.
What stays to be seen is what number of of these new and returning gamers stick round over the remainder of this month, as Fortnite’s The Simpsons season culminates in a giant stay occasion on November 29. That is anticipated to usher within the recreation’s subsequent massive period — Chapter Seven — that appears set to characteristic a crossover with Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Invoice and, probably, the return of Fortnite’s heroic Seven faction.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s Information Editor. You’ll be able to attain Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or discover him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social