Epic Games is celebrating the launch of the modern “The Simpsons” mini-season in Fortnite, which it says has welcomed “the largest number of new and returning Fortnite players since last holiday season.”
Public player data tracked by Fortnite.gg shows that a maximum of 2.6 million players logged in on both Saturday and Sunday, firstly to watch the live event that introduced The Simpsons aliens Kang and Kodos to Fortnite’s Battle Royale island, and secondly to play the modern Springfield map when the game comes online.
During the live event, Fortnite heroes were picked up in a UFO and transported to Springfield Island, a cross between Fortnite and The Simpsons, filled with familiar locations and Easter eggs from the long-running animated series. Fan reaction to the modern season and its highly detailed map has been positive, and Epic Games seems pleased with player numbers.
“In 48 hours, we welcomed the highest number of new and returning Fortnite players since last holiday season,” the developer wrote on social media post. “The first Fortnite | The Simpsons short film took first place on Disney+ in the US today. Move on to Shelbyville…”
Fortnite player numbers dropped slightly this year due to stiff competition from Roblox and a series of Battle Royale seasons that felt like they didn’t connect with fans as expected. In September, during the game’s alien bug season, the average daily player count briefly dropped to around half a million players, although player numbers increased as Fortnite began its annual Halloween celebration.
While 2.6 million players last weekend is impressive, Fortnite has seen some higher player growth for other events this year. A peak of 5.7 million players logged in on June 7 for Death Star Sabotage, the in-game live event that marked the finale of the Star Wars mini-season. Fortnite also saw player numbers skyrocket to 3.9 million players on August 2 during the Superhero Season Finale and 3.3 million players following the launch of the Daft Punk Experience.
There’s no telling how many of these modern and returning players will stick around for the rest of this month as The Simpsons season of Fortnite culminates with a gigantic live event on November 29. This is expected to usher in the game’s next gigantic era – Chapter Seven – which will likely be a cross between Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill and potentially the return of Fortnite’s heroic Seven faction.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s news editor. You can contact Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
