Old copy of Fortnite from before it went free-to-play sells for $42,500, and while you might think that's weird, remember that the person who bought it probably won't play it anyway

Fortnite.

A pristine copy of Fortnite for Xbox One has just sold at auction for an eye-watering $42,500 USD. You might reasonably wonder why a free-to-play game would command such a price, but this is a case of several oddball bits of Fortnite history – and the price-hiking effect of Wata grading – combining into one massive price tag.

This sealed, 2017 copy of Fortnite was given a 10 A++ grade by Wata Games, which essentially means that it's as close to perfect condition as it gets. Slabbed in an extra layer of plastic with Wata's grade attached, this copy sold for $42,500 on November 21 through Heritage Auctions (as spotted by IGN).