Fortnite may soon start paying creators in V-Bucks by defaults

Rituraj Halder Published August 8, 2026

According to a recent leak shared by prominent Fortnite insider and dataminer HYPEX on X, Epic Games is allegedly planning a major shift in how creators get paid, making V-Bucks the default payout method for its creator programs.

If this leak is actually true and comes to fruition, it could easily be one of the biggest changes that have ever come to Fortnite and could have a ripple effect across multiple other titles. According to the insider, this change could mean that rather than receiving direct cash transfers by default, creators will automatically receive their earned revenue in the form of Fortnite’s in-game currency.

What is the V-Bucks payout system in Fortnite?

Currently, creator programs like Support-A-Creator and Island Creator engagement give payouts in actual real-world money through third-party payment platforms like Hyperwallet once creators meet minimum payout thresholds.

However, under this new leaked system, Epic Games would flip this traditional cash-first workflow. While creators may still get the option to opt for cash withdrawals or convert their digital earnings back into real currency, setting V-Bucks as the automatic standard means earnings will land directly into creators’ in-game balances by default unless manually changed.

Can this move help creators?

While shifting payouts to in-game currency is obviously quite controversial, the strategy does have many advantages, as well as some disadvantages. 

One of the most apparent advantages will would be for smaller or hobbyist creators, for whom reaching the strict real-money payout threshold (often $100 USD) and setting up tax forms or banking profiles can be a real setback. 

With instant V-Bucks deposits, they will still have enough incentive to contribute to the community, even if they do not reach the payout threshold or not having the resources to receive payments from the US. 

Another aspect of this move is that by distributing earnings in V-Bucks, Epic Games keeps a substantial portion of creator value circulating within its own platform economy. Creators are more likely to reinvest those V-Bucks into buying cosmetics, battle passes, or funding in-game assets, reducing Epic’s direct cash outflows.

However, full-time developers and studio teams relying on Fortnite island payouts to pay rent and employee salaries will not be happy with this decision if Epic decides to completely cancel out cash payouts. If converting V-Bucks back into fiat currency costs creators some kind of processing fee or similar, there could be some very obvious backlash against Epic. 

If HYPEX’s leak proves true, Epic Games will need to carefully balance the convenience of digital payouts for casual content creators with protecting the livelihoods of full-time developers who keep the Fortnite ecosystem thriving.