Fortnite and addiction to other online games has been cited as one of the reasons for divorce in hundreds of cases since the start of the year, according to a UK divorce services website.

Divorce Online said it had received 200 petitions since January 1 that named the battle royale game and others as a key reason for ending their relationship.

The last-player-standing game has become a phenomenon since launching last year, amassing more than 125 million players in the process.

(Epic Games)
(Epic Games)

A spokesman for Divorce Online said: “Addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling have often been cited as reasons for relationship breakdowns but the dawn of the digital revolution has introduced new addictions.

“These now include online pornography, online gaming and social media, so it is no surprise to us that more and more people are having relationship problems because of our digital addictions.

“These numbers equate to roughly 5% of the 4,665 petitions we have handled since the beginning of the year and as one of the largest filers of divorce petitions in the UK, is a pretty good indicator.”

Last week TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp revealed she had “smashed” her children’s iPads after discovering they had been playing Fortnite, and fellow battle royale game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) outside of agreed screen time hours.