Fortnite developer Epic Games has announced that the game now has 350 million registered players. In a tweet published on Wednesday, the company also revealed that, during April, the online shooter was played for 3.2bn hours – a tally that is likely to have been boosted by global coronavirus lockdown measures.

Now well into its third year of existence, Fortnite is continuing to attract a massive global audience, despite several newer rivals in the battle royale genre, including Apex Legends from Electronic Arts and a new Call of Duty mode, Warzone. Over time the game experience has constantly evolved and expanded, from a defensive shooter in which players fended off zombies, to the wildly popular competitive battle royale mode, to more recent modes and events that focus on building things, socialising online with other players, or attending one-off performances. Last month, one such series of in-game live events featuring rapper Travis Scott attracted more than 12 million spectators.

The latest addition to the game is the Party Royale mode, set on a new, smaller island where weapons and killing are banned. Instead, players can race around on boats and quad bikes, visit a dance club and try on new outfits. The mode is currently in beta and launches officially on 8 May, with a massive premiere party featuring sets by Deadmau5, Dillon Francis and Steve Aoki.

Given that real-world gigs typically play to an audience of a few hundred to a few thousand, the immense virtual crowds drawn to Fortnite’s performances have attracted the attention of the music industry. Last year, Marshmello played to an audience of 10 million through the game. Travis Scott’s performance, meanwhile, helped propel his single with Kid Cudi, The Scotts, to the top of global streaming charts.