The LEGO Group and Epic Games have announced that Fortnite players can build their own brick-based islands.
The news comes as they both took the stage at the 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC) unveiling that LEGO items are now available in Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) and Fortnite Creative.
LEGO in Fortnite
Starting off the creative process are four template islands that players can use as a blank canvas to apply their own builds. The pair also announced on the GDC floor that three more islands will be released:
- LEGO Prop Hunt – builds on popular ‘Prop Hunt’ mechanics to create zany LEGO fun for you and other players within the expanse of a wacky shopping mall!
- LEGO Battle Arena – allows gamers to become the next Spinjitzu master! You can enroll in special training at the LEGO NINJAGO Dojo with Lloyd and the Masters of Spinjitzu, where you can compete against other trainees, hone your skills, and prove yourself.
- LEGO Cat Island Adventure – a playful game all about meeting and nurturing your relationship with a friendly cat on an island and spending time together. Players need to complete tasks to keep their cats happy, and they’ll let you know if they are not!
The announcement video shows players making worlds with an assortment of items in the UEFN:
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Kari Vinther Nielsen, Head of Play & Creator Growth at LEGO GAME said: “We want kids and families to be able to enjoy a whole host of fun and engaging play experiences within Fortnite, and the potential this news offers for creators is incredibly exciting – we can’t wait to see what everyone builds and how much the community enjoys the creations.”
Interestingly those creators who take part in the Fortnite Island Creator Program will be able to benefit from the amount of play and interaction that users have with their creations. The official program site page states that “engagement payouts proportionally distribute 40% of the net revenue from Fortnite’s Item Shop and most real-money purchases each month among eligible island publishers, including Epic, based on player activity in Fortnite.”
Since the launch of LEGO Fortnite, which we covered, in December 2023 the partnership between Epic and the Scandinavian toy giant has only gotten stronger. The Battle Royale game has seamlessly synergized with the LEGO creative approach and subsequently announced Building Kits in the game’s latest update, which can be snapped up as in-game purchases via the Fortnite currency, V Bucks.
The relationship between both global gaming companies is blossoming, with Vinther Neilsen saying that today’s announcement “is a hugely important step in us democratizing creativity and putting the power of the LEGO brand into creators’ hands like never before .”
Image: LEGO.
