Fortnite was first released in 2017, with different dates depending on which mode you mean.

Key dates

  • Fortnite: Save the World (the original co‑op PvE mode) launched in paid early access in late July 2017 (sources list July 21–25, 2017, with July 25 widely cited as the first launch).
  • Fortnite Battle Royale (the free‑to‑play mode that made the game explode in popularity) was released on September 26, 2017.

So if you’re asking “when was Fortnite made” in the sense most players use it—meaning the Battle Royale game everyone talks about—the key release date is September 26, 2017.

Fun bit of context: the idea for Fortnite dates back to around 2011 inside Epic Games, but players didn’t actually get to play it until the early‑access releases in 2017.

TL;DR:

  • First playable Fortnite (Save the World): July 2017.
  • Famous Fortnite Battle Royale release: September 26, 2017.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.