A sealed copy of the Fortnite video game sold for a record $42,500 on Friday at Heritage Auctions, blowing away the previous record of less than $15,000.
The sale came for the sole WATA 10 A++ copy — a grade meaning its seal and box are virtually flawless — in the WATA population, including both PS4 and Xbox One.
Fortnite is one of the most popular video games in recent history, with an estimated 650 million players since releasing in 2017.
The game’s popular Battle Royale mode was released as a free-to-play option and made available for digital download shortly after the limited initial physical release. This turned some physical copies of the game, such as the record-setting example at Heritage, into rare collector’s items.
Not only was it uncommon for gamers to resist the temptation to open their copies of the game upon receipt in 2017, but the vast majority of people to ever play the game did so without ever owning a physical copy.
The result also makes it the most expensive non-Pokémon video game sale for any game released in the 21st century.
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Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.