Epic Games’ made gaming history this month with their release of “Unreal Editor for Fortnite.” Fortnite Creative and gaming as we know it is about to change forever. Let’s find out how!
Epic Games rocked the gaming community on March 22nd with their release of “Unreal Editor for Fortnite” (UEFN). UEFN is a PC-only editor that allows creators to make incredibly advanced and immersive gaming experiences that can be published and played directly within Fortnite’s creative mode. This public beta is now live, and users can download it for free in the Epic Games Store. While UEFN is a separate add-on from the Fortnite game itself, it allows users to create experiences and instantly make them playable to millions on the Fortnite platform.
For years, Fortnite has offered its Creative mode as a place for players to make user-generated content from any device. The UEFN add-on is only available on PC, and since it is such an in-depth program with endless possibilities, this was to be expected. However, because UEFN works alongside Fortnite’s existing Creative toolset, multiple creators can collaborate across both PC and console platforms to develop and test their islands in real time before publishing them to Fortnite’s live player base. When you consider the record-breaking experiences that have already been made with its original and quite limited toolset, it emphasizes just how impactful the release of UEFN will be.
Major changes to Fortnite’s Support-A-Creator Program were announced alongside the release of UEFN. Previously, Epic creators participated in the company’s “Support-A-Creator” program. The program issued approved creators “Creator Codes” to share with their followers. When players used these creator codes when making purchases in the item shop, the creator would receive 5 percent of the total purchase. But the significant downside of that model was that creators had to promote their code and simply hope people would remember to use it when making purchases. Epic announced they are now giving 40 percent of Fortnite’s net revenues back to these creators. Using engagement metrics, creators can receive monetary support to continue creating without having to spend time promoting the use of their codes. Considering Fortnite brings in billions of dollars through player purchases of its in-game cosmetic items, the opportunity for creators to profit from their projects is immense.
According to Epic Games, the beta version of UEFN allows users to do the following:
But what does this all mean? In short, users can now create just about any experience they can imagine within UEFN, using customization tools that Fortnite map creators have been dreaming about. I’ll say that again. Users can now create just about any experience they can imagine with UEFN. The reality of what this means makes the release of UEFN so groundbreaking for the future of gaming. The editor has only been live for two weeks, and we’ve already seen some extraordinary creations made with it and published in Fortnite.
Over 350 million players play Fortnite every month, with 50percent of players spending their time in virtual worlds made in Creative. This makes Fortnite the perfect game for brands who want to leverage the platform to build their brand awareness. One obstacle that Creative 1.0 had was that of creating such custom-branded content. This hurdle is no longer present with the new UEFN. The customization capabilities will allow creator studios such as Beyond FN to market immersive experiences to large brands looking to capitalize on Fortnite’s massive player base of hundreds of millions worldwide. Beyond FN has already created insanely captivating branded experiences with Creative 1.0, promoting brands such as Honda, Armani Code, Campbell’s, and Chipotle. As the popularity of streaming continues to skyrocket, content creators are always looking for ways in which to engage with their followers. Using the original creative mode, Alliance Studios has partnered with the likes of NickMercs, Lachlan, and LazarBeam to create branded maps for their followers. When I look at the meticulous detail put into these maps created with such limited assets, it makes me so excited to see what can be achieved using all the tools that UEFN offers.
Branding opportunities simply scratch the surface of what makes the introduction of UEFN completely game changing. Luke Zelon, VP of “Valhallan Esports Training,” summed it up best on Twitter.
By observing the top UEFN creations published within Fortnite Creative, we can peer into the future of gaming. UEFN now takes creators from making small game maps within Fortnite to making entire games within Fortnite. Assuming that creators have ownership of their projects made with UEFN, they can create, promote, and use engagement stats provided through Fortnite’s Creator portal to pitch their innovations to game developers. This means the next big video game could be found right inside the Discover section of Fortnite.
Epic Games has always been at the forefront of game innovation, and their release of the Unreal Editor is no exception. Fortnite’s success continues to grow, even without this major update, but the introduction of UEFN will prove to be a key factor for Fortnite’s longevity in the future. Countless creators also stand to benefit as a result, now that they have all the tools at their fingertips to shape the future of gaming.
