Epic Games has announced that Fortnite development has shifted to Unreal Engine 5, the latest version of the company’s graphic technology, as part of the launch of Fortnite Chapter 3.
Last year, following the stunning Unreal Engine 5 tech demo, Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney announced that Fortnite would transition to Unreal Engine 5 in mid-2021, adding that the new version will “do things that are not possible today.”
Unreal Engine 5 was officially released in Early Access earlier this year, allowing game developers to test out the new tools and features in the next-generation engine. More Unreal Engine 5 tech demos and projects are already appearing.
Major studios, such as Gears of War team The Coalition, have begun development on the new engine and showcased a stunning Unreal Engine 5 tech demo, revealing what the Gears series could look like on Xbox Series X in the future. Just this week, a Matrix Awakens Unreal Engine 5 experience leaked on PSN before it was officially announced.
But, unlike these other projects, Fortnite is taking it a step further by shifting all development to Unreal Engine 5, pushing the engine beyond tech demos. Unreal Engine 5 will support current and next-generation consoles, as well as PC, Mac, iOS, and Android when it is fully released.
Fortnite Chapter 2 concluded earlier this week and was quickly replaced by Fortnite Chapter 3, Season 1, which includes a new island map, new gameplay, and a new Battle Pass featuring Spider-Man. Reactions to the changes have already been positive, with many fans praising Spider-web-slinging Man’s in Fortnite in particular.
