Prince Harry has publicly condemned Fortnite, saying that the video game juggernaut “shouldn’t be allowed”.

Created by Epic Games, Fortnite challenges 100 players to parachute on to an island, forage for weapons and fight to become the last player standing and secure the triumphant ‘Victory Royale’.

But the royal says its ability to keep players, particularly children, transfixed in front of their screens for hours at a time is “irresponsible”.

“It’s created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible,” he said, before dramatically claiming: "It's like waiting for the damage to be done and kids turning up on your doorsteps and families being broken down."

He cast the scathing judgement during a visit to a West London YMCA this week, where he also had harsh words for social media, saying it’s “more addictive than alcohol or drugs”.

Fortnite is the biggest video game in the world, with hundreds of millions of players. The brand is up for six awards at this year’s International Licensing Awards, which take place at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas on 4 June.