Divorce Online, a British site offering information and services to people whose marriages are breaking up, said that about 200 divorce petitions filed in the UK since the start of this year cited the virtual warfare game as a reason for the separation.
“These numbers equate to roughly 5 per cent of the 4,665 petitions we have handled since the beginning of the year and as one of the largest filers of divorce petitions in the UK, is a pretty good indicator,” Divorce Online says in its report.
“Addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling have often been cited as reasons for relationship breakdowns but the dawn of the digital revolution has introduced new addictions,” Mark Keenan, from Divorce Online, said.
“These now include online pornography, online gaming, and social media, so it is no surprise to us that more and more people are having relationship problems because of our digital addictions.”
The company did not elaborate how Fortnite contributed to the break-ups but a reason is thought to be its highly addictive, time-consuming nature.
Other additions — whether gambling, drugs or alcohol — are similarly cited as reasons for relationships ending.
Another factor in Fortnight’s popularity is its accessibility on smartphones and game consoles. It boasts to have tens of millions of players at any one time.
In April it was reported that an online petition calling for the game to be scrapped by angry girlfriends whose partners were ignoring them because of the game gathered several hundred signatures.
Fortnite Battle Royale, its most popular mode, is a multiplayer Hunger Games–style shooter-survival contest where the goal is to kill off everyone else. Released by Epic Games last year, Fortnite is free to download and available on nearly every gaming platform.
Quartz reported this year that nearly 70 per cent of Fortnite players buy digital items — such as new outfits for their characters — and those who do spend on average $85 (£65) for such accessories.
In April alone, Fortnite made nearly $300 million for Epic Games. Approximately 125 million people worldwide were playing Fortnite across all platforms as of June, and more than 40 million log in to it every month.
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