Epic Games has once again decided to shake up the Fortnite ecosystem, and this time the move could have far-reaching implications for both creators and competitors. The company has announced that, for the first time, creators on its platform will be allowed to sell in-game items directly to players – a bold step clearly designed to compete with Roblox, which has dominated the user-generated content space for years. This change comes at a turbulent moment for Fortnite, with the core battle royale mode struggling to maintain high engagement numbers, while Roblox continues to thrive thanks to breakout hits like Grow a Garden and Steal a Brainrot.
The introduction of item sales marks a dramatic shift in how Epic positions Fortnite. 
For years, the company leaned heavily on its seasonal battle passes, live events, and IP collaborations with giants like Marvel and Star Wars. Now, however, Epic is signaling that the future of the platform will be built around creators. In its announcement, Epic explained that developers of third-party experiences will receive 50% of the V-Bucks value from purchases after store and platform fees. In real terms, this translates to 37% of sales – already more generous than Roblox’s 25% share. But Epic is sweetening the deal even further: until December 31, 2026, creators will temporarily receive double that amount, meaning 74% of in-game sales during the program’s first year.
It is a clear and calculated pitch: build your game inside Fortnite, and you’ll pocket more money per dollar spent than on Roblox. Epic used the same approach years ago when trying to lure developers away from Steam to the Epic Games Store by offering more favorable revenue splits. Still, a percentage cut is only half the battle. While Fortnite’s rates are more lucrative on paper, Roblox continues to dwarf Fortnite in overall player base. Developers may face a classic tradeoff: higher earnings per user on Fortnite versus potentially far more users and sales on Roblox.
Epic isn’t stopping at sales. The company has also introduced changes to its creator payout program, tweaking engagement rewards to favor creators who bring in new or lapsed players. This reveals Epic’s larger strategy: using creator-made content not just as extra entertainment for existing players, but as a growth engine to expand Fortnite’s audience. To further emphasize this, Epic is launching a new sponsored placement block on the game’s main Discover screen. Creators will be able to pay for visibility, while Epic pledges to give 100% of that ad revenue back to creators through 2026, before scaling it back to 50% thereafter to help fund infrastructure, moderation, and research.
One of the most interesting technical updates alongside this policy shift is Fortnite’s long-awaited “thin client.” Starting on PC and mobile, this lightweight version of the game will only include Blitz Royale and access to creator experiences by default, with other modes – including the original battle royale – requiring separate downloads. This change makes it easier for players to quickly jump into viral creator hits like Steal a Brainrot without committing to the full gigabyte-heavy install. At the same time, it also feels like Epic is acknowledging that Fortnite’s first-party content is no longer the primary driver of interest. Creator-made modes are steadily becoming the centerpiece.
Over the years, Fortnite has continually reinvented itself: from its original PvE zombie defense gameplay, to the battle royale sensation that took over pop culture, to its current iteration as a social and creative platform that resembles a metaverse more than a traditional shooter. This next transformation may be its most dramatic yet. While Epic insists battle royale isn’t going anywhere – and indeed, its seasonal battle passes and blockbuster live events remain profitable pillars – the spotlight is moving toward user-driven experiences. It’s not just about adding new ways to play; it’s about re-architecting Fortnite into a place where creators can thrive and make real money, while Epic stabilizes its own business after years of operating at a loss.
That stability is a major concern for Epic. The company admitted in its announcement that it has been investing heavily while running at a financial deficit. By redistributing ad revenue and sales splits to creators, Epic is essentially betting that empowering its community will generate enough new engagement to pay off. It is a risky gamble, but one that mirrors the success Roblox has already achieved. If Fortnite can capture even a slice of that market – and offer creators more money along the way – it could carve out a sustainable future as Roblox’s most serious competitor.
For players, the implications are equally significant. The thin client means Fortnite could become the gateway to countless small, experimental games without requiring massive downloads. For creators, the more generous revenue split means that cosmetic-driven economies might finally become genuinely profitable, without forcing pay-to-win mechanics that often plague free-to-play titles. But skepticism remains: will creators be able to attract enough players to make use of those better splits? And will players embrace buying items from small, independent developers within Fortnite as readily as they do official skins?
What is undeniable is that Fortnite is preparing for its next era – one where the creativity of its players may matter just as much as the creativity of Epic itself. Whether this gamble pays off will depend not only on economics, but on culture: how players view the value of community-driven content, and whether Epic can avoid the pitfalls of moderation, safety, and exploitative design that already trouble Roblox. The message is clear: Fortnite is no longer just a battle royale game. It is becoming a marketplace, a creative platform, and perhaps, its most radical reinvention yet.