Fortnite blamed for spike in divorce across the UK

ADDICTIONS to viral video game Fortnite have been blamed for one in 20 divorces this year, according to research by a popular divorce website.

AS MANY as 5000 marriages in the United Kingdom could dissolve this year as a result of viral video game Fortnite, according to research by a divorce specialist website.

The site, divorce-online.co.uk, conducted a study into the 200 divorce petitions they have handled this year and cited Epic Game’s multiplayer shooter game as the grounds for many splits.

Fortnite's relatively recent arrival on mobile phones has made it even harder to get away from. Picture: Getty Images

Citing the game’s “drug-like qualities” and describing Fortnite as “one of the most addictive digital games ever played”, the firm decided to look through its records for the year noticing “an increase in inquiries where Fortnite has been mentioned as part of the reason someone wanted to file for a divorce”.

“It is no surprise to us that more and more people are having relationship problems because of our digital addictions,” a spokesman for the company said.

“These numbers equate to roughly 5 per cent of the 4665 petitions we have handled since the beginning of the year,” the spokesman went on, “and as one of the largest filers of divorce petitions in the UK, is a pretty good indicator”.

There were 107,071 divorces in the UK in 2016, the most recent year for which complete data is available, suggesting that Fortnite will be a factor in the breakdown of up to 4600 marriages in the UK this year, if the pattern is replicated across all providers.

Fortnite has joined pornography as an online temptation with the potential to make marriage problems too obvious to ignore. Picture: Getty Images

It was not clear if more men or women were citing Fortnite in divorce papers, or if it was the desire to find a better duos partner that drove the split rather than a desire to find someone who plays the game less.

Fortnite is making Epic Games at least $AU421 million every month, with 40 million active players and 125 million downloads.

The Sun reported earlier this year that some women had been calling for a total ban on the compelling game as it had “brainwashed” their boyfriends.

Signing a petition calling for the game to be removed from circulation, one wrote: “This game is ridiculous. Ruining my relationship.”

This story originally appeared in The Sun and has been republished here with permission.