Epic Games Aims to Transform Fortnite into a Multifaceted Gaming Platform

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney outlined Fortnite's ambitious evolution from a battle royale titan into a versatile platform hosting diverse gaming experiences.

Years after the high-profile Big Bang event introduced Lego Fortnite, Harmonix's Festival, and Psyonix's Rocket Racing, Sweeney shared at Unreal Fest 2025 with IGN that Epic's primary challenge is shifting public perception of Fortnite as solely a battle royale game.

"Our core mission is to ensure players see Fortnite as a platform for every type of experience," Sweeney explained, "and that requires time and delivering exceptional content across various genres."

Progress has been consistent but varied. Festival continues to draw major music acts, offering new skins and music drops, while Lego Fortnite Odyssey maintains a dedicated survival crafting community. Rocket Racing, however, has been sidelined, with newer shooter modes like Reload gaining stronger traction.

At the State of Unreal event, Epic revealed a third-party Fortnite experience briefly surpassed its core modes in popularity, a milestone unimaginable a few years ago. Yet, Epic's non-shooter modes, like Festival and Lego Fortnite, lag behind the dominant Battle Royale and Zero Build playlists, as well as Reload and Fortnite OG.

When IGN asked if engagement in modes like Fortnite Festival and Lego Fortnite met expectations, Epic’s executive vice president Sax Persson admitted, "We’re never fully satisfied."

"Shooter modes have performed strongly," Sweeney added. "But we haven’t yet captured the magic we envisioned for music gameplay. The Harmonix team, with their Rock Band and Guitar Hero legacy, is experimenting with new approaches in Fortnite’s music genre."

"They’ve introduced Jam Tracks, blending songs with beats and instrument playability," he continued. "Music thrives in Fortnite, but surprisingly, not as much in dedicated music games."

Despite Fortnite’s live music events drawing millions, Epic struggles to sustain consistent engagement in music-focused modes.

"Music shines in Fortnite, but less so in music-specific games," Sweeney observed. "Our next goal is scaling music experiences, aiming for a game with tens of millions of monthly active users, where players return for epic concerts and competitive gameplay."

Regarding Lego Fortnite, the most established non-shooter mode, Persson noted, "We’re proud of its dedicated fanbase, but we want it to grow larger and attract more Lego enthusiasts."

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Epic continues to grapple with Fortnite’s enduring identity as a battle royale game.

"Our biggest hurdle is that Fortnite is still seen as a shooter," Persson said. "It’s no longer just that—it’s a platform for everything, and we need to communicate that story more effectively."

Sweeney highlighted upcoming enhancements to Fortnite’s Unreal Engine-powered editor, UEFN, to empower third-party creators. "Epic currently uses advanced tools like C++ and Unreal Engine, while creators use Verse and APIs. Our goal is to unify these frameworks, giving creators the same powerful tools we use, a focus we’ve pursued for two years."

"Fortnite’s success hinges on being a dynamic ecosystem," Sweeney emphasized. "If another game surpasses our battle royale with something bigger and better, that’s likely to happen."

"The shooter genre has evolved with technology, from Deathmatch to large-scale modes with vehicles," he added, crediting the Japanese film Battle Royale and PUBG’s Brendan Greene for the genre’s spark. "Battle Royale is the best shooter genre yet, but it won’t be the last. New tech will unlock unforeseen creativity and surprises."

This week, Epic also discussed AI integration in Unreal Engine and Fortnite, including a talkative AI-powered Darth Vader, alongside insights from Epic and CD Projekt Red on The Witcher 4’s striking demo and its final form.