“Fortnite” was actually released in July 2017, cribbing the still popular premise of independent game “Playerunknown’s Battleground.” But in 2018 it turned from a game into a phenomenon. “'Oh I haven’t talked to my best friend in seven years and now we’re playing Fortnite together. And sure enough, older “Fortnite” players acknowledge that it’s the children that led the way for its ubiquity. June: Epic Games announced the game has 125 million players. November: Fortnite hits 200 million registered players, an online community that would make the seventh-largest nation on Earth.

Source: Washington Post December 27, 2018 12:56 UTC