Fortnite Creators Will Be Able to Sell Real Items on Their Maps

A major update to the Fortnite Creator Ecosystem has been revealed by Epic Games, enabling developers or producers to sell in-game goods straight from their Fortnite islands.

Starting in December 2025, creators can start earning revenue from their Fortnite island by selling both durable items and consumables, which will expand their revenue opportunities beyond just engagement payouts from the Fortnite Item Shop.

For the first year of the update, creators will receive 100% of the V-Bucks value of their sales, signaling the best time for Fortnite developers to launch exclusive items.

How the Fans Will Benefit from the Fortnite Creator Ecosystem Update

With this new system, creators will earn a portion of any in-game item sales. Currently, Fortnite developers receive 50% of the V-Bucks price, which is about 37% of retail expenditure. From December 2025 until the end of the year in 2026, this will be equal to 100% or ~74% of retail expenditure.

This is a total win for creators; it gives them the ability to optimize revenue in the first year of sales, and along with direct sales, adds a revenue stream that is entirely linked to player activity on their islands and the ongoing payouts for engagement.

Updated Engagement Payouts for Fortnite Creators

In addition to selling items in-game, creators will also still earn payouts for engagement. Starting November 1, 2025, Fortnite will have a new formula to pay creators who bring new or lapsed players to their islands. Just as Fortnite Ranks reward progression and performance, this update rewards creative entrepreneurship, letting developers earn a direct return for the work that keeps Fortnite’s ecosystem vibrant.

These creators will earn 75% of the contributions to the engagement payout pool from those players for the first six months, as these players are new or previously inactive players playing on their islands.

The new payout formula considers:

• Minutes Played
• New User Acquisition
• Lapsed User Acquisition
• Playtime Around V-Bucks Spend
• Retention on the Creator’s Islands

This allows creators to be compensated fairly for their engagement value in both acquiring and retaining player engagement.

Sponsored Row in Discover for Increased Visibility

In November, Epic Games will be launching a Sponsored Row in Discover, which provides creators, similar to Paid Promotions, an opportunity to compete for visibility for their islands by placing a bid for the cost of sponsorship. Beginning at launch through the end of 2026, 100% of sponsorship revenue will go into the engagement payout pool, providing additional earnings for all creators.

Regardless of whether it's the biggest release of material or the tiniest release for testing, the change will give artists and engineers the ideal marketing tools as well as analytics and A/B testing. This also means more creators will experiment with cosmetics and gameplay add-ons, making islands more diverse and engaging, something seasoned fans already search for in Fortnite Guides when new patches drop.

New Fortnite Creator Communities

The update to the Fortnite Creator Ecosystem adds a new feature called Fortnite Creator Communities, which will allow creators to interact directly with their players.

Creators will now have the ability to post updates, host forums, share their thoughts, and receive direct feedback through likes and replies. Posts will show up in Island Lobbies, Island Pages, and a dedicated row in Discover.

The Fortnite Creator Ecosystem Update is a colossal stride in support of monetization of Fortnite's creative mode, including community development tools, Sponsored Row promotions, better payout options, and direct item sales.

For developers, 2025 and 2026 are set to be the most rewarding time period in Fortnite’s history.