The return of Fortnite’s original map generates record Virgin Media O2 network surge

• Record number of players returning to Fortnite’s original map has resulted in Virgin Media O2’s busiest ever day of broadband data downloaded on its network
• On Friday 3 November, the first day the original map was made available to download as part of its Fortnite OG update, close to 140,000 Terabytes (TB) was downloaded on Virgin Media O2’s broadband network
• It was a 10% increase on the previous record which took place on its network on Sunday 16 April

The return of Fortnite’s original map on Friday 3 November as part of its Fortnite OG update, has broken Virgin Media O2’s record for its busiest ever day on its broadband network.

The hugely popular map, which Fortnite players have been yearning for its return, came back with a bang with record numbers of gamers returning to jump in with friends online.

On Friday 3 November, the first day that the latest season and original map was made available to play, Virgin Media O2’s download traffic reached 154,000 Terabytes (TB).

This was a 10% increase on the previous busiest day on Virgin Media O2’s broadband network, which took place on Sunday 16 April (140,00TB).

Gaming related updates have continue to dominate the rankings when it comes to Virgin Media O2’s busiest days of network traffic. Various Call of Duty titles and its free-to-play Warzone mode have frequently been the main catalyst for record network surges in recent years.

And with the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III on Friday 10 November, and a rumoured 234GB file size to download on day one, the popular gaming dynasty could once again break records when it comes to network data usage.

Paul Kells, Director, Network Strategy & Engineering at Virgin Media O2, said: “We’ve seen over the years that gaming and its frequent and chunky updates cause record data usage on our network. This has often coincided with a Call of Duty or Warzone update so it’s interesting to see that our customers and fans of Fortnite have all jumped back online in such large numbers. With our gigabit network, backed up by our market leading Wi-Fi guarantee, it is the perfect ally to keep gamers ahead of the game.”