Fortnite has a very active base of creators, but the creative capabilities of the battle royale are about to get a whole lot bigger. Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) is a PC application launching in beta on March 22, and it will allow for “designing, developing, and publishing games and experiences directly into Fortnite,” according to the newly released Epic Games Store page. The Unreal Editor uses a lot of Unreal Engine 5’s tools, but allows it all to be done, and published, within Fortnite itself.
There is already a Creative mode in Fortnite, which has a hugely passionate and talented fanbase. What makes the UEFN special however is its enhanced capabilities. Being PC-only, you won’t be playing as a character laying out a map in-game, but instead will be a developer, using a similar Unreal Editor to those at Epic who actually developed the Fortnite Battle Royale game. It’s much more powerful, capable and customizable, with options to import custom assets, as well as a new programming language called Verse.
The beginning of the future is built together.
3.22.2023 I Wishlist on EGS now.https://t.co/UgXn1xJSra pic.twitter.com/5oZvhEAYJb
— Fortnite Creators (@FNCreate) March 16, 2023
As the UEFN is exclusive to Fortnite, games and experiences developed using the tool will instantly have a built-in audience ready to see their creations. We don’t have exact player figures, but Epic describes the Fortnite audience as being in their “millions”, so there will hopefully be a lot of eyes on UEFN productions. This is somewhat similar to Roblox, where players are also able to create their own custom worlds, modes and games in Roblox Studio.
Also on March 22, Epic will be hosting a State of Unreal event, live from the Game Developers Conference 2023. The livestream is available on YouTube, and promises “a glimpse at what’s in store for the future of game development and the Epic ecosystem.”
Are you looking forward to seeing what creators can do with the Unreal Editor for Fortnite? Let us know in the comments below, and keep your eyes on GameLuster for more gaming news.
