Epic Games has announced that creators within Fortnite will soon have the capability to monetize their user-generated content by selling in-game items, enabling them to earn a livelihood from their creations.
A comprehensive blog post from Epic details the revenue-sharing model for V-Buck sales (converted to USD) within Fortnite`s user-created content. From December 2025 until the close of 2026, creators are set to receive approximately 74% of these in-game sales. This distribution model will be adjusted on January 1, 2027, at which point creators will earn around 37% of the V-Bucks spent in their experiences.
Epic`s FAQ clarifies that creators can sell both `durable and consumable` digital items integrated into their games. Currently, sales are restricted to digital goods, and all transactions must comply with Epic`s established Island Creator Rules.
Furthermore, Epic is introducing the `Sponsored Row` to boost the visibility of creator-made islands. This new section within Fortnite`s Discover tab will allow creators to bid for premium placement. All revenue generated by the Sponsored Row will initially be directed to the engagement payout pool, with 100% allocated from launch through 2026. This percentage will then decrease to 50% starting in 2027. Epic assured that other Discover rows will continue to offer organic visibility for islands.
The FAQ explains that Epic`s 50% share from both creator in-game item sales and Sponsored Row bids is designated to cover essential operational expenses, including server hosting, safety measures, and moderation. The company noted that it has been “investing and operating the business at a loss” in recent years.
Creator compensation will continue to be tied to engagement, calculated using a revised formula that considers factors such as playtime, acquisition of new and re-engaged users, playtime associated with V-Bucks expenditures, and island retention. Epic is also set to introduce `Fortnite Creator Communities,` a platform designed for creators to interact with their audience through forums and messages. In-game, players will have the ability to like posts and follow specific creators to receive updates and notifications.
These announcements clearly indicate Epic`s ambition to capture a segment of the user-created content revenue market currently dominated by platforms like Roblox. Epic`s blog post explicitly highlights the differences in payout structures, noting that Roblox does not share revenue with creators for sponsored content and typically distributes approximately 25% of in-experience currency spent back to creators, as per the Roblox Creator Hub`s `Earn on Roblox` page.