Gaming as new start-up platforms: How Roblox, Fortnite, and UEFN's in-game economy works

Today, gaming platforms are no longer just entertainment. These are full-fledged ecosystems where products are created, business models are built, and new entrepreneurs appear.

Startups that launch inside these worlds no longer look like toys. These are businesses with a team, investments, an understandable audience, and even marketing strategies. Generation Z and Alpha don't just spend time in virtual worlds - they live there. And they pay. This means the business has a new market that cannot be ignored.

In this article, we will analyze how the in-game economy works and what makes it attractive to startups, developers, and investors. Let's see how monetization works at Roblox, why Epic Games is developing UEFN, and how Fortnite is becoming a platform for brands and creators. We will answer the main question: is it possible to build a sustainable business in the game, and if so, how?

Why have gaming ecosystems become interesting to entrepreneurs and investors?

Traditionally, entrepreneurs have been looking for customers offline or on classic digital platforms - sites, marketplaces, and social networks. But in the past few years, the trajectory has changed: increasingly, the entry point is the playing environment. Not because it is fashionable, but because it is effective.

Gaming ecosystems have one obvious advantage: they gather a gigantic audience. Roblox has over 70 million daily active users. Fortnite - about 250 million players per month. These users are not just playing. They're involved, they're spending, they're creating the content themselves. It's the audience that keeps the laptop on after purchase - it comes back again and again.

Investors are watching, too. Roblox entered the IPO with an estimated $41 billion, even though many of its creators are teenagers. For foundations and business angels, this is a signal: if there is a market and it is growing, it is worth going there. Especially when the entry threshold is lower than that of classic startups.

Games offer a unique business environment: fast start-up, real-time user feedback, flexible monetization tools, and ready-made infrastructure. Everything a funder needs to test an idea at no extra cost.

Roblox: how teenagers create businesses on their platform

In Roblox, entrepreneurs often do not look the way it is customary to represent funders. These are not graduates of business schools and not former CEOs of corporations. These are schoolchildren and students who have learned to create worlds inside Roblox Studio and turned their games into a sustainable source of income.

Roblox is not just a game - it is a constructor of ecosystems. On its basis, you can create your product, build monetization, establish analytics, and scale. Successful developers get millions of views, make money on in-game purchases, and get a cut from a Roblox Premium subscription.

According to the reports of the company itself, in 2023, more than 2,000 creators on the platform earned over $30 thousand per year. Some are hundreds of thousands. They launch studios, hire teams, communicate with investors, and develop their projects as a full-fledged business. All this is inside the game, which was originally considered by many to be "just a game".

Why does it work? Roblox relied on user-generated content. This means that every user is a potential developer. And if the game goes to the audience, it takes off organically. No investment in marketing, no complex CRM, no long customer acquisition cycle.

In addition, Roblox supports developers through foundations, guides, events, and access to analytics. This is no longer a platform - it is a full-fledged business environment. Only focused on the new generation: those who grew up with a tablet in their hands and learn to build businesses from the age of 12.

Fortnite and UEFN: When AAA tools fall into the hands of founders

If Roblox is a constructor with simple visual code and cartoonish aesthetics, then Fortnite and UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite) are already about adult graphics, advanced tools, and those who are ready to treat in-game creation as a full-fledged development on Unreal Engine.

What is UEFN? This is an editor with which you can create your games right inside Fortnite. At the same time, developers use the same engine as in large AAA projects. The difference is the speed of entry and access to the huge Fortnite audience.

Epic Games has created a unique environment: a platform where you get both tools and market at the same time. UEFN allows you to publish your games (or "experiences") directly to Fortnite, and if they become popular, you make money. And not only on donations. Epic shares revenue with authors based on user engagement.

Why is this important? Developers who used to look for an investor for the first prototype can now assemble a team, make an MVP, launch a game, and test hypotheses right inside Fortnite. This makes it cheaper and faster to launch. At the same time, the creators receive feedback from the audience, analytics, and the opportunity to profit without external funding.

For entrepreneurs, this is a game-changer. Now, a studio with 2-3 people can compete for attention with large players. And if experience shows, not only does the audience come in, but also the interest of investors.

UEFN is a bridge between game production and the startup approach. Where quick launch, hypothesis testing, scaling - all this is possible in a familiar environment where users are already ready to spend money.

Why should startups pay attention to gaming platforms?

Gaming platforms are no longer just a place for entertainment. Today, these are full-fledged digital ecosystems with millions of active users who are ready not only to play, but also to interact, create content, buy, and sell within the platform.

Audience scale. For example, Roblox, Fortnite, and other platforms collect several tens of millions of active users per month. This is a huge market where you can immediately test your ideas on a live audience without high marketing costs.

Economics within games. Inside these platforms are full-fledged economies with virtual goods, services, and currencies. Startups can offer solutions related to the sale of digital goods, subscriptions, advertising, and even financial services.

Low entry. Creating projects within game ecosystems has become easier with convenient tools and SDKs. This allows you to quickly launch a prototype and test the concept at no cost.

Monetization opportunities. In-game purchases, subscriptions, advertising, sponsorship - all this already works and brings real money. For startups, this is a chance to start making money from the very beginning.

Investor interest. Venture funds are already paying attention to gaming projects and metaverse. Startups that know how to work in these environments are given additional opportunities to attract funding.

Thus, gaming platforms today are a new space for business, where creativity and technical skills are transformed into real products and revenues.

Examples of businesses and economics within Roblox, Fortnite and UEFN

For many entrepreneurs, this has become a launching pad for business. The creators receive income from the Roblox in-game currency, which players buy for real money. Developers earn a percentage of each transaction, and the most successful projects bring in hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars.

Fortnite was originally just a battle royal, but now it is a platform with its own item store, events and opportunities for creators. Epic Games allows third-party developers to create content through Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), which opens up new horizons for startups. You can create your own game modes, branding collaborations and even virtual concerts, attracting millions of users.

In such ecosystems, the economic model includes the sale of skins, items, combat season passes, and monetization through advertising and partnerships. For entrepreneurs, this is not only an opportunity to create entertainment, but also to build a full-fledged business with sustainable income.

The main thing is to understand that this is not just the development of games, but the construction of an entire ecosystem with an active audience and its own market rules. It is important for startups to study the features of platforms, use the tools provided, and create products that will be in demand in specific gaming communities.

Tips for startups starting out in gaming ecosystems

The first steps in the world of gaming platforms require understanding and adaptation to the specifics of the market. First of all, it is important to study the audience of a particular platform - who these players are, what formats and topics they are interested in, how they interact with content. The gaming ecosystem is not just code and graphics, it is a living community with its own rules.

Startups should start small: create prototypes, test ideas on a narrow audience, quickly respond to feedback. Flexibility and speed are key success factors. Don't be afraid to experiment with monetization formats and models.

The technical part also requires attention. Platforms such as Roblox and UEFN provide tools for product development and integration, but mastering these tools takes time. It is important to have a team of specialists who understand how games are built within these systems and how to better integrate the business model.

Finally, partnerships and collaborations are worth paying attention to. Joint projects with already known developers or brands help to quickly gain trust and expand the audience. Gaming ecosystems actively support such initiatives, which creates additional opportunities for growth.

As a result, success depends on the ability to combine player understanding, technological knowledge and entrepreneurial approach. Gaming platforms today are a new territory for business, where startups can not only survive, but build scalable companies.

Successful startup cases inside gaming ecosystems

One notable example is Adopt Me! - a game inside Roblox that has grown into a business with millions of users. The creators initially focused on simple, intuitive mechanics and constant content updates. Through community engagement and regular events, the game has become a platform for monetization through virtual goods and premium access.

Another example is FNCS (Fortnite Competitive Series), where entrepreneurs and organizations build businesses around esports, tournaments, and content making. The Fortnite platform provided opportunities for large-scale competitions with a large prize pool, which attracted the attention of sponsors and advertisers.

Also worth noting are projects using UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite). Startups create unique game worlds and social spaces that offer users new formats of interaction and entertainment. Such projects become a kind of metaverse, where you can simultaneously play, communicate and make purchases.

These examples show that gaming ecosystems are not just entertainment, but full-fledged business platforms with a variety of opportunities for earning and development.

Final thoughts

Gaming platforms today open up new horizons for entrepreneurs. They combine technology, community, and economy in a single space where you can create unique products and build a business from scratch. For startups ready to adapt and learn, these ecosystems provide ample opportunities.

The main thing is to understand the specifics of each platform, work with the audience, and use the tools they offer. Then, business within games will cease to be a niche direction and will become a full-fledged part of the modern economy.

Gaming ecosystems are the next step in the development of digital entrepreneurship, and today, it is here that the trends of tomorrow are formed.