iOS release of 'Fortnite' rakes in over $25M in first 30 days

"Fortnite" on the iPad.

The feat is all the more impressive because "Fortnite" for iOS has only been out of an invitation phase since Apr. 1, said analytics firm Sensor Tower. Average daily spending on in-app purchases is now over $1 million worldwide.

In the U.S. people spent $9.5 million on the game within the first two weeks of April — making it second only to Netflix's $12.6 million. That put it above other lucrative apps such as Tinder, Pandora, and YouTube.

If "Fortnite" can "maintain its current hysteria-level popularity" for a few more months — and it comes to Android by this summer — the game could potentially reap over $500 million by the end of 2018, Sensor Tower projected.

In comparison, Nintendo's "Super Mario Run" made $56 million in its first year, ordinarily a large amount for any app. Both games pale in comparison to the success of "Pokemon Go" however, which took in some $1.1 billion.

"Fortnite" and the mobile version of "Battlegrounds" have sometimes been described as a watershed moment in mobile gaming, proving that PC- and console-style games can be successful despite interface and processor limitations. Phones and tablets have become increasingly powerful, and in some cases may be a person's main computing device.

AppleInsider reviewed the title, calling it an excellent port to mobile, and a "good, if challenging, game for those wanting to dip their toe into the competitive survival genre."

"Fortnite Battle Royale" requires an Internet connection and iOS 11 to play, and is playable on an iPhone 6S, iPhone SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, and later devices.