'Fortnite' responsible for 200 divorces filed since January

The video game Fortnite is being blamed for hundreds of divorces across the UK.

The battle royale game has been cited as a reason for 200 marriage break-ups so far this year.

Addictions to other computer games, porn and social media are also contributing to marriage breakdowns, according to The Daily Mail.

The study reveals Fortnite was responsible for around five per cent of the 4,665 divorces filed for since January 2018.

The report reads: "These numbers equate to roughly five per cent 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."

Fortnite hit 125 million players worldwide just one year after it was first released, with an estimated 40 million playing across the globe every month.

Its unrivalled popularity has been partly fuelled by its availability for free on smartphones as well as on traditional home video game consoles, making it popular with teenage gamers.

But with its rise to prominence health experts have warned of the dangers of online gaming addiction, particularly among children.

The NHS has even offered to treat young gaming addicts for free, after it was recognised as a mental disorder.

Last week a four-year-old boy from Oxfordshire broke his arm after trying to imitate a stunt he had seen players do inside the game.

Harrison Day missed his first day of primary school after jumping off a slide in his back garden while holding an umbrella - because he wanted to fly "like they do in Fortnite".

Earlier this month a disabled mother was left penniless after her 10-year-old son stole her bank details to spend NZ$2400 on the game.

Cleo Duckett, of Bridgend in South Wales, was devastated when she found out what her son Jayden-Lee had done.

This article was first published on dailymail.co.uk and is republished here with permission.