You can now create your game with Fortnite’s Unreal Editor.
Epic Games won’t go too much into detail about their Unreal Editor back then, but they’re finally willing to spill the tea about it. Essentially, the Unreal Editor lets creators use the tools from Unreal Engine to build their very own experiences and games within the realm of Fortnite. It’s more or less a beefier version of Roblox Studio. You might think that we already have that in the form of Fortnite’s Creative Mode, but with the Unreal Editor, it’ll enhance it even further. If you’ve ever dreamt of making your game from scratch using Fortnite’s graphics and skins from the Fortnite Item Shop, you can do just that once Epic Games releases it to the public.
The Deets About the Unreal Editor
Based on Epic Games’ statement, the Unreal Editor for Fortnite is an application you can design, develop, and publish games directly into the battle royale. Unreal Engine 5 is already a powerful tool, boasting Control Rigs and Sequences, VFX, and custom asset import. Add the Unreal Editor to the table, and you have a buttload of options for publishing and producing games that millions of Fortnite account holders can enjoy.
The Unreal Engine for Fortnite (UEFN) works with Fortnite’s Creator mode, making it possible for PC and console players to craft and “test” their islands in real-time. These fancy tools, we assume, will be a step up to what’s already offered. Tim Sweeney—Epic Games’ CEO—commented that Creative mode accounts for half of Fortnite’s playtime. Some creators have already built lucrative businesses by making maps for brands.
What’s There to Be Hyped About?
With UEFN, it could lead to people creating experiences that go far beyond what’s possible in the current Creative. One aspect of the editor that players have been geeking out about is its custom asset import feature we mentioned earlier. This feature allows you to import characters into Fortnite that Epic hasn’t included in its overwhelmingly extensive archive of skins.
Besides that, there’s the addition of Verse, a language program that offers players “powerful” customization capabilities. With it, you can chain or manipulate devices and easily create unconventional “game logic.” We’re not entirely sure what those jargons mean, but we know they’re meant to make things more accessible to anyone interested in creating their own game.
Roblox Has New Competition
The UEFN allows Epic Games to compete with Roblox and its set of tools. We’ve seen the rise of derivative worlds within specific video game platforms like Fortnite, and it’s introduced millions of players to the metaverse. These metaverses transformed Roblox from a simple sandbox to one of the gaming industry’s most impactful technologies worldwide.
Currently, Roblox has been able to team up with companies like Chipotle and Spotify by creating custom-made designs for their own games and spaces within the platform. It won’t be a surprise to see if Epic Games also follows this route for Fortnite, as they’re now capable of engineering similar partnerships.
On that note, Fortnite has a massive user base—with over 250 million players playing the battle royale monthly. Taking that factor in with regards to the Unreal Editor, the tool looks like a sweet deal for producers and consumers alike.
UEFN Release Date
UEFN was released on March 22, 2023—the same day Epic Games showed off their latest State of Unreal presentation. You can watch the event through a vod or YouTube if you’re curious about the tools and want to learn more. Epic Games’ store description states that the Unreal Editor is merely a beta launch. Players with Fortnite accounts can expect it to evolve into something more later on. The developers commented that they plan to implement more functionalities that creators are familiar with to give them more control over what they want to create.
UEFN has been referred to as Creative 2.0 by many during its development stage. Epic initially wanted to showcase it on December 2022, but it ultimately got canceled at the last minute due to unexpected malfunctions.
Regardless of how wacky you think Fortnite can be, you can’t deny that it’s a highly polished game and is one that developers are working around the clock for. It’s arguably one of the better games for cranking out regular updates and new content. With how expansive the Unreal Editor will be and the number of players the battle royale has, this could be an exciting development for the title.
