Fortnite has been installed on ‘nearly half’ of Nintendo Switch systems worldwide

Almost half of all Nintendo Switch owners have downloaded Fortnite.

In an investor briefing, Nintendo confirmed that Epic’s fan-favourite battle royale game has "gained so much momentum" that since its release on Switch earlier this year, the game has been downloaded to "nearly half" of all systems worldwide.

"Distribution of the Nintendo Switch version of Fortnite Battle Royale from Epic Games began during E3 this past June, and since then it has shown up everywhere, not just in the US and Europe but also in Japan," the investment presentation stated. "It has gained so much momentum that it has been downloaded to nearly half of all Nintendo Switch systems worldwide.

"Many people continue to play the game, boosting the overall utilization ratio of Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch is unique in that people can bring their consoles with them so they can communicate while playing at a friend’s house or elsewhere."

"By way of additional special Nintendo Switch bundles, we are working to offer other well-timed products to match consumer demand, for example releasing special packages of Nintendo Switch bundled with Fortnite Battle Royale or Diablo III: Eternal Collection in markets outside of Japan for the holiday season," the briefing added.

Fortnite is coming back to the shops on console, with a new physical release announced on PS4, Xbox One and – for the first time – Nintendo Switch just in time for the holiday season. Fortnite: Deep Freeze Bundle will be available from November 16 for £24.99 on each format, and will be published by Warner Bros Interactive. The Deep Freeze bundle will also be available as a digital download.

In other Fortnite news, Streamer Tyler "Ninja" Blevins is hosting a 12-hour Fortnite livestream from Times Square, New York, this New Year’s Eve. "This is going to be a NYE in Times Square like you’ve never seen before," Ninja said about the upcoming event.

Epic Games recently secured $1.25 billion in additional funding, the news arriving just days after former CEO of the Games Developers Association of Australia (GDAA), Anthony Reed, announced he had stepped down from his position to work with Epic Games and establish a new office for the Fortnite developer in Australia and New Zealand. While Reed did not expand on what Epic’s plans are, nor what his new role will be, he promised there would be "a lot of news" soon.