Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or a casual bystander, you’ve heard the iconic two-syllable name before…Fortnite. With a staggering 221 million active players in the last 30 days with a peak of 59.8 million players in a single day, it’s evident that Fortnite has become a cultural phenomenon.

In celebration of Fortnite’s latest Chapter 5: Season 2 release, we’ve embarked on a quest to identify which states are best positioned to claim the Victory Royale in a hypothetical real-world Fortnite. Drawing inspiration from the game’s landscapes and strategic gameplay, we’ve analyzed each state’s environmental, survival, and strategic factors in our very own Victory Royale index. Gear up and brace yourself for the ultimate showdown!

Key findings:

• Minnesota is most likely to claim Victory Royale, with a perfect score of 100/100
• Colorado secures 2^nd place (99.3/100), with Kansas in 3^rd (81.8/100)
• Rhode Island is the least likely to win in a Battle Royale, as they scored 0/100

How to score a real-life Victory Royale, according to our index

1. Battle Royale Bustle (Population density): Lower population density equals survival chances and loads of hiding spot opportunities

2. Alliance Advantage (Crime rate): Lower crime rates fosters trusty alliances, crucial for navigating and advancing through the ranks

3. Healing Abundance (Pharmacy density): With higher pharmacy density, the better equipped players are to patch themselves up to stay in the game longer

4. Gold Rush (GDP): A higher GDP opens more opportunities to splurge on top-tier equipment and essential resources for the ultimate battle

5. Strategic Savvy (Education attainment): Sharp strategic decisions are key to a Victory Royale. Higher levels of education attainment equal quicker and effective gameplay strategies

6. Gear Galore (Firearm training facilities density): The more facilities available, the more resources to gear up before the showdown

7. Nature’s Fury (Natural disaster declarations): Just like in Fortnite, surviving intense climates like storms and blizzards are crucial. Few natural disaster declarations mean better odds of weathering the storm for that sweet victory

And Victory Royale goes to…

The state most likely to dominate in a real-life Victory Royale is Minnesota, with a perfect score of 100. Thanks to its relatively low 20^th lowest population density of 73.2, Minnesotans can find plentiful hiding spots to heighten survival chances amidst the chaos. Navigating natural disasters will be an ease, as they’ve only had one major natural disaster declaration in the last year. With an education attainment score of 64/100, 6^th lowest crime rate and having the 3^rd highest firearm training facilities density, they’re equipped to make the best strategic decisions to secure the Victory Royale.

Securing the silver medal, Colorado stands just 0.7 points shy of the Victory Royale glory with a total score of 99.3/100. While Coloradans flourish in a lower 14^th lowest population density and 2^nd highest firearm training facilities density, they also have the 15^th largest GDP – more than Minnesota. Their education attainment score of 69.3/100 highlights their tactical decision-making abilities in navigating the field. However, their doubled crime rate (compared to Minnesota) presents a challenge, hindering their ability to form trusty alliances and potentially weakening their chances of a Victory Royale.

Holding the bronze medal is Kansas, with an overall score of 81.8/100. Kansas stands out in comparison to both Minnestoa and Colorado, as they have the 10^th lowest population density nationwide; and shine with the 3^rd highest pharmacy density across the nation. However, with only 61 available training facilities (24^th nationwide ranking) puts them at a slight disadvantage. Additionally, their ranking of 33^rd in GDP category contributes to their bronze medal position.

Rounding out the top five rankings, Nebraska storms in at 4^th place (80.1/100), with Virginia in 5^th place (78.5/100).

The states least likely to score a Victory Royale

Rhode Island ranks as the state destined for defeat, with a dismal score of 0/100. Positioned with the 2^nd highest population density, they’ll lack hiding spots to stake out in for long-term survival. As for alliance advantage? More like alliance disadvantage, as they have the 16^th highest crime rate, plummeting their chances of meeting dependable teammates. On top of that, their rankings of 2^nd lowest pharmacy density and 7^th lowest in firearm training facilities density, their odds are stacked against them.

Lagging behind in the second to last spot nationwide, is Hawaii, with a score of 6.8 out of 100. Not only do they rank 13^th highest in population density, but their lackluster 47^th ranking in firearm training facilities density is a recipe for trouble. On top of that, due to their pharmacy density, they have the 4^th lowest ranking in the category – making it difficult to patch themselves up for long-term survival, in case of medical emergencies. Combine these elements together, and it’ll only present obstacles to their hopes of clinching the Victory Royale.

Oklahoma finds itself, unfortunately, third to last, as they only scraped 13.7 points out of 100. Despite boasting the 15^th lowest population density, they face an uphill battle with the 4^th highest ranking in the natural disaster declaration category – aka, added stress to their gameplay. Additionally, their 44th position in making strategic decisions and 50^th ranking pharmacy density leaves them carefully treading with their gameplay, compared to their fellow states.

Finishing off the bottom five list, Tennessee ranks 46^th place overall (21.6/100), with New Jersey and New York tied for 45^th place nationwide (24.7/100).

Conclusion

As you dive into the latest Fortnite Chapter 5: Season 2 release, envision yourself transitioning into a real-life Battle Royale scenario. Considering some of the listed advantages and challenges each state presents, ask yourself if the Victory Royale scores in your favor!

Methodology

In March 2024, we asked ChatGPT to create a general criterion for our Victory Royale index. As described in the index description (above), this helped us determine what to assess. We then assessed some of the data for the suggest factors and weighed them:

1. Battle Royale Bustle = Population density per square mile (Wisevoter)

2. Gear Galore = # of public firearm training facilities density (NSSF)

3. Nature’s Fury = Natural disaster declarations within the last 12 months (FEMA)

4. Gold Rush = GDP (Wisevoter)

5. Strategic Savvy = Most educated states index (Wallethub)

6. Alliance Advantage = Crime rate per 100k (Wisevoter)

7. Healing Abundance = Pharmacies per 10k (pharmacists.org)

Each state was then scored on a scale of 0-100 to discover which states have the highest and lowest chances of winning a real-life Victory Royale.

Disclaimer

This campaign and any images used on Casino.org are inspired by the online video game, “Fortnite”. There is no commercial association between Casino.org and the “Fortnite” online video game or its developer/publisher “Epic Games”. Trademark rights and copyrights relating to the online video game “Fortnite” belong to their respective owner(s) which are not associated with or affiliated with Casino.org in any way and did not license rights or authorise or sponsor this campaign.

Fair use

Feel free to use the data or visuals on this page for non-commercial purposes. Please be sure to include proper attribution linking back to this page to give credit to the authors.

For any press questions, please contact rhiannon.odonohoe[at]casino.org