Are social platforms losing the next generation to Roblox and Fortnite?

Unpacking social media strategy is now part and parcel of any election postmortem. From Elon Musk’s ownership of X to Donald Trump’s use of creators to target Gen Z men, understanding social’s role in the US election is to understand how influence is wielded in the digital age. However, these major political events offer more than just a schooling in the latest social media tactics. They also provide an update on each platform’s engagement power, particularly as games like Roblox and Fortnite begin to challenge traditional social media for Gen Z engagement.

Rewind six years and it was Facebook’s role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal that underscored its powerful place in shaping mass public opinion. Fast forward to the present, and Labour  ‘cornered the youth vote’ in the UK election with 2.9m account engagements and 25m views on TikTok – more than the combined count of any other political party (per Campaign).

While each social app is significant in its own right, true power comes from a multi-platform approach. Campaigns, political or otherwise, must conquer not only myriad formats – from tweets, to stories, to short-form and long-form video – but each platform’s unique culture as well. According to MIDiA’s Q3 24 consumer survey, those targeting a cross-section of the population based upon daily active user penetration would focus on Instagram for 16-19-year-olds (51%); YouTube for 25-34-year-olds (56%); and Facebook for 55-64-year-olds (50%). 

Yet digital engagement habits are quick to change, and as campaigners and marketers alike turn their eyes to the next four years, they will need to consider the next generation of digital natives and how to reach them on the platforms they call home – namely, games like Roblox and Fortnite.

It is no secret that these immersive worlds have been highly successful at capturing the attention of younger consumers: Roblox’s penetration among 16-19-year-olds was 35% in Q3 24, and according to the company’s own metrics, daily active users grew by 22% to 68.4 million year-on-year for 2023. Its fastest growing age group was 17-24-year-olds. 

However, the power of gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite is not just limited to the numbers they generate, but how they drive deeper engagement. Arguably, games are now eating social. 

Amid the US election noise, ClipIt – Roblox’s version of TikTok and YouTube Shorts – passed a billion views (per Digiday). Advertising is already being sold across this TikTok clone, which allows users to create and share videos of their avatars. For context, ClipIt’s eight million monthly active users are dwarfed by TikTok, which hit one billion monthly active users in 2021. However, it can no longer be argued that type of social engagement taking place in gaming worlds is wholly different than what is playing out on social. In fact, these worlds offer a more diverse playbook than social platforms when it comes to engagement. Whole worlds can be created by brands for players to socialise in on top of buying ad space. 

In the coming years, social platforms will face battles to command the attention of Gen Z and the next generation of consumers. Roblox and Fortnite pose a distinct threat to their sphere of influence. With video advertising and short-form video being added to the toolkit, Roblox is giving brands more reasons to engage and players fewer reasons to leave. Social video platforms have long been on the front foot when increasing time spent in a fiercely competitive attention economy. Now, they are on the defensive.