Epic Games has built Fortnite to be one of the biggest video games of the last decade, and now, thanks to Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), players on PC can help build, too. The company announced that the experimental player-generated content editor is launching into public beta today, allowing Fortnite fans to use Unreal Engine 5 tools to create custom experiences for “millions of players.” It means a host of advanced tools are available to the public, with creators able to produce and publish games and experiences.
Along with Unreal Editor for Fortnite comes a new programming langue called Verse and Creator Economy 2.0. Creators who publish content with UEFN will also be able to earn a portion of Fortnite’s Item Shop purchases based on engagement with their content. Epic is clearly paving the way for Fortnite to continue for many years to come, and it wants players to be along for the ride. A short video accompanying the beta launch was published today to help drum up hype for UEFN. You can see it below.
“Unreal Editor for Fortnite is a new way to design, develop, and publish content into Fortnite that takes advantage of the Unreal Editor’s development workflows and proven PC-based toolset,” Epic said. “Over time, UEFN will evolve to feature most of the same tools available in Unreal Engine 5 (and beyond) that enable the publication and distribution of experiences on a massive scale. Today’s Public Beta release is the first major step towards achieving this goal.”
Epic explains that UEFN works “side-by-side and is additive to Fortnite’s existing Creative toolset.” That toolset, Fortnite Creative, is a sandbox editing mode for the game that launched in 2018, allowing players to create and publish content in the form of “Islands.” The UEFN beta expands the Creative toolset with Unreal Engine tools, essentially giving the public access to software to create higher-quality content. That means developers can use UEFN to rig and animate, block out geometry using modeling tools, and add visual effects. You’ll also be able to build terrain and create specific materials thanks to the Unreal Engine Material Editor.
Unreal Editor for Fortnite is only in beta today, but it could easily lay the groundwork for a platform that keeps Fortnite thriving for decades to come. If you’re interested in creating Fortnite content with UEFN, you can head to the Epic Games Store to download it on PC for yourself.
