Fortnite Gets a Pretty Big Upgrade With Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine 5 is, well, kind of a big deal. If you’ve seen the tech demos, you’d know just how far this upgraded game engine can push the bar on graphical fidelity and technical prowess. It’s a feat that impressed Epic Games’ CEO, Tim Sweeny, so much that he was convinced to implement the tech in Fortnite.
He’s not alone in this move, either. With Unreal Engine 5 getting an early access release, tons of dev teams are hopping on the train. Gears of War have already shown what they’re capable of with the engine’s help. But more often than not, those projects serve merely as demonstrations. They’re no finished product. But if anyone can get Unreal Engine 5 to work for them so quickly, it’s Epic Games and their bottomless, VBucks-lined pockets.
This upgrade coincides with Fortnite Chapter 3, a new era for the Fortnite game and brand. It comes alongside a new map, a new Marvel crossover, new gameplay mechanics, and a new battle pass. Some players were wary of stability issues when it came time to upgrade, but very few of those fears ever manifested. The update isn’t a rumor anymore, it’s live. Players seem to love the changes, Unreal Engine 5 is putting in work.
Upgrading something like Fortnite is no small feat either. The game exists on just about every major platform, Epic Games wants their flagship title to be as accessible as possible. And that entails getting Unreal Engine 5 working smoothly on a wide range of system specifications – mobile devices included. But Unreal came prepared, and for the most part, succeeded. This kind of industry backing is hard to come by, and will make other game studios far more likely to use the engine in the future.