James Delahunty
16 Sep 2018 21:37
Epic Games' smash hit Fortnite is being increasingly cited as a reason for divorce, according to figures from the UK.
Fortnite has become something of a cultural phenomenon for the games business. Fortnite Battle Royale attracted more than 125 million players in a year, and the title is generating hundreds of millions of dollars per month. Players have spoken of how addictive the game can be, and it has even generated compilation videos of "Fortnite Rage" where players lose their minds and smash up their equipment. To be fair, it's not the first title to generate such compilations.
It's not hard to imagine then that Fortnite could be a cause for the breakdown of a relationship. Excessive gaming has long been a factor in the breakdown of relationships between couples. In the UK, there are some figures to show that Fortnite can test the whole "til death do us part" thing.
Divorce-Online has reported that it received 200 divorce petitions that cite addiction to Fortnite, and to other games, as a reason that a divorce is being sought.
"These numbers equate to roughly 5% 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 said on its website.
Games like Fortnite sure can be fun, but that can also be frustrating and even infuriating. If Fortnite, or some other game, is messing up your marriage, then walk away from it. (Fortnite... not your marriage... just to clarify!).