Fortnite creators will soon be able to earn a living selling in-game items in their creations, developer Epic Games has announced.
In a detailed blog post, Epic outlines what percentage of in-game V-Buck sales (converted into US dollars) from inside Fortnite user-created content will go to creators versus Epic Games. From December 2025 through the end of 2026, creators will get to keep around 74% of in-game sales. That will change on January 1, 2027, when creators will instead earn about 37% of in-game V-Bucks spent.
In a FAQ, Epic said creators will be able to sell digital “durable and consumable items” built into their games, and–for now–will be limited to digital items only. Sales must also follow Epic’s Island Creator Rules.
Epic is additionally giving creators a new way to increase the visibility of their islands–the Sponsored Row. A new row in Fortnite Discover section, creators can pay to bid on placement in the Sponsored Row in order to increase their islands’ visibility. Revenue generated by the Sponsored Row will go into the engagement payout pool, starting with 100% of the revenue from launch through 2026 and then reduced to 50% starting in 2027. Other rows in Discover will remain unchanged, Epic said, allowing for organic visibility for islands.
The FAQ states that Epic keeping 50% of the sales from creator in-game item sales and from bids for the Sponsored Row is to help cover server-hosting costs, safety and moderation costs, and other operating expenses, with Epic stating in recent years it has “been investing and operating the business at a loss.”
Creators will continue to receive payouts based on engagement with their creations, which will be based on a new formula that includes minutes played, new-user acquisition, lapsed-user acquisition, playtime surrounding V-Bucks spent, and island retention. Epic will also be launching what it calls Fortnite Creator Communities: a way for creators to connect with their audiences and community through forums and messages. Players will be able to like posts in-game, and can follow specific creators for notifications and updates.
It’s clear Epic is looking for a piece of Roblox’s user-created content revenue pie with these announcements, with Epic directly contrasting its payouts to Roblox’s in its blog post. Epic states that Roblox shares no revenue with creators who pay to have their creations sponsored, and pays out about 25% of in-experience dollars spent back to creators, according to the Earn on Roblox page within the Roblox Creator Hub.
In other Fortnite news, players will have to wait a little longer than planned to score its Power Rangers Megazord skin, while a KPop Demon Hunters crossover is reportedly in the works.