Fortnite advertising friction: creators say brands are wasting money on custom maps

"Metaverse marketing is heating up in 2025, and brands' activity in Fortnite is no exception. Advertisers' spending on the platform has grown significantly in the past year: Between 2023 and 2024, the number of brand activations inside Fortnite increased by 99 percent year-over-year - from 136 activations in 2023 to 270 in 2024 - with branded Fortnite maps currently accounting for 33 percent of all brands' virtual-world activations, according to data platform GEEIQ's 2025 State of Brands in Gaming and Virtual Worlds report."

"Most brand activations in Fortnite currently take the form of custom experiences designed to promote individual advertisers, like The General's " Road Test Royale" and Dairy Max's " Diner Tycoon." Brands typically spend between $300,000 and $500,000 on this type of custom map, according to four marketers with knowledge of the space. Creator studios like Look North World and Zoned act as brands' agencies inside Fortnite, building their virtual worlds and hiring creators to promote them to their fans. Neither creator studios nor individual creators are officially affiliated with Epic Games."

"But as ad dollars pour in, creators warn that advertisers may be overspending. Five Fortnite creators and talent managers told Digiday that they believe brands are overspending on the platform by focusing their efforts on custom-branded maps, rather than integrations into pre-existing popular experiences, which usually cost between $20,000 and $50,000."

Brand activity in Fortnite surged between 2023 and 2024, with brand activations rising 99% from 136 to 270 and branded maps comprising 33% of virtual-world activations. Most activations are custom experiences promoting individual advertisers and typically cost $300,000–$500,000, built by creator studios such as Look North World and Zoned. Creators and talent managers warn that brands may be overspending by favoring custom-branded maps rather than integrations into established popular maps, which often cost $20,000–$50,000. Some creator teams, like Good Gamers, charge under $100,000 for integrations and operate multiple top-10 Fortnite maps, offering cheaper alternatives.

Read at Digiday