Fortnite
The latest Fortnite news and reviews on the online game developed by Epic Games.
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Epic seeks alpha testers for action-building game Fortnite
Though Fortnite has been in relatively quiet development for years, Epic Games has apparently decided that now is the time to drag the game into the light of public scrutiny. To that end, the publisher has launched a website for the game and put out a call for testers. Those unfamiliar with Fortnite can think of it as a cross between Minecraft and the "Horde" gameplay type in Gears of War. The fundamental goal of Fortnite has players gathering resources and building defensible forts to keep out hordes of monsters. Once the attack inevitably comes, Fortnite more closely resembles a traditional third-person shooter, where players navigate their cobbled-together homes while gunning down invaders. Fortnite also offers online gameplay where multiple players have to work together to build and defend strongholds, as well as player-crafted weaponry. While Fortnite is still a ways off, the game's new website is seeking participants for an upcoming alpha test. If you'd like to join, visit the Fortnite site and fill out the standard registration form. [Image: Epic Games]
Epic Games Poland, formerly People Can Fly, takes a crack at Fortnite
People Can Fly, the developer behind Bulletstorm and Gears of War: Judgment, has been rebranding as Epic Games Poland. "We've changed the studio's name from People Can Fly to Epic Games Poland," an Epic Games representative confirmed with Pixel Enemy. "We're a global company with talented people working toward one goal across the world. We think this helps better reflect that." In addition to confirming the new studio name, the Epic Games representative also said Epic Games Poland is currently working on Fortnite, the co-op survival sandbox game where players forage for supplies during the day, construct fortifications and attempt to survive waves of attacking enemies throughout the night. Epic Games added that Epic Games Poland is one of "multiple" studios currently working on the game. Epic Games fully acquired People Can Fly last year following the departure of three key personnel. The vacating trio would then go on to form The Astronauts, a new studio currently working on horror PC game The Vanishing of Ethan Mars.
Epic's online store covers you in Gears, Fornite and Infinity Blade
If you were worried by the permanence of a "Crimson Omen" tattoo on your chest, you may wish to consider the less drastic measures to support of just getting a shirt with Gears of War: Judgment on it.Epic Games' online store has products covering Infinity Blade, Gears of War, Fortnite and the Unreal Engine – just wait a few seconds for the colors and logo to fully load before you walk out the door.
Fortnite getting a closed beta 'early next year'
As a special prize for one lucky attendee of tonight PAX Prime 2012 Fortnite panel – a reprise of the Fortnite panel we saw at San Diego Comic Con earlier this year – Epic Games gave out a golden ticket that provides early beta entrance to next year's Unreal Engine 4 PC game. So ... wait, does that mean there's gonna be an open beta for Fortnite?"TBD," Epic design director Cliff Bleszinski told us immediately following the panel. "There will definitely be a closed beta," producer Tanya Jessing added, but she also refused to confirm whether an open beta is also in the cards. But hey, that one lady who won the ticket? She's totally in.
Bleszinski: Fortnite on PC 'primary and first,' other platforms not ruled out
Having announced Fortnite as Epic Games' first Unreal Engine 4 game, "exclusively for the PC," Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski took to Twitter this afternoon to make some breathing room. "We wouldn't rule out the possibility of other platforms later," he wrote. That is, while Fortnite will be "primary and first" on PC, it may not be exclusive to the platform forever.Given that Fortnite is built using UE4, it stands to reason that those "other platforms" won't be of the current generation (none of Microsoft's, Sony's, or Nintendo's current hardware can run UE4-based games). What might they be, then? We'll have to wait until the next console generation to find out, it sounds like.%Gallery-160290%
Epic's Fortnite is a 'fresh and bubbly' co-op survival sandbox game
Epic Games kicked off our experience at Comic-Con this year with a panel about Fortnite, the oft-mentioned but not yet seen game that serves as the studio's followup to Gears of War. Producer Tanya Jessen, Lead Artist Pete Ellis, and Design Director Cliff Bleszinski talked at length about the game, revealing it to be a mashup of Minecraft, The Walking Dead and Team Fortress 2. It's designed and built in Unreal Engine 4, and destined for a PC-only launch.Jessen described Fortnite as a "co-op sandbox survival game" with three different elements. Scavenging will allow players to go out into the ruined world and find items and materials wherever they can. Building will let players first erect and then customize various structures of all shapes and sizes. Combat, the last part of the game, pits players against creepy yet "Looney Tunes-inspired" monsters attempting to take those structures down."This is not just a game for people who like shooters or RPGS," said Jessen. "It's a game for everybody." And according to Bleszinski, Fortnite is a big change internally from what the studio has been working on more recently. "It's been really fresh for us," he said. "We've had like six years of Gears and we've perfected the art of killing. Fortnite is serving as a fresh change of pace for us."%Gallery-160290%
Fortnite is Epic's first Unreal Engine 4 game, heading exclusively to PC
Fortnite is Epic's first Unreal Engine 4 game and it'll ship "exclusively for the PC," Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinksi said today during a San Diego Comic-Con 2012 panel. "We're here and we're announcing that this is a PC-designed game, it's shipping exclusively for the PC," he told a crowd of attendees."Next-gen's here. It's been here. It's a high-end PC," Bleszinski said. He added that the dudebro-free Fortnite didn't "make sense" for Unreal Engine 3, and cheered PCs as being part of Epic's "heritage."Fortnite, which sees characters building bunkers and emplacements to defend against the monsters of the night, was suspected of being a PC exclusive earlier this year when it popped up on a LinkedIn listing for PC. The listing was quickly changed after we brought it to the attention of Epic Games.We'll have more from Epic's SDCC panel as soon as we can (it's still going on!).
Fortnite listing changed from PC to TBD after follow-up
Epic Games producer Chris Mielke has a few projects under his wing at the moment, after having shipped a variety of past games with the studio. Beyond anything unlisted, his LinkedIn profile shows that he's currently working on both Infinity Blade: Dungeons and Epic's new IP, Fortnite. While we know the former is heading to iOS devices, the latter still hasn't been given a platform.Up until this morning, however, Mielke's profile also offered a bit more detail on Fortnite, as seen in the image above of the cached search on Google (thanks Google!). While Epic Games wouldn't offer a comment on the listing, his profile mysteriously went from listing the game as "Fortnite (PC)" to "Fortnite (TBD)" after our inquiry.We also asked directly if Fortnite is the aforementioned PC-exclusive title in the works at Epic. "Yes, we're working on a PC game. No, it's not a port. Yes, you'll have to wait to find out more," was all we were told, unfortunately.
Cliff B talks Fortnite: 'There's no dudebros in it'
We cornered Epic lead Cliff Bleszinski on the VGAs red carpet yesterday to talk about the newly announced Fortnite, and he says that it'll be very different fare from the popular Gears of War series. "There's no dudebros in it," he told us outright. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, right? But creatively for the team, Gears has been amazing for us. But it's fun to kind of stretch our wings and do something that's a little different from the usual." Epic's Lee Perry is the project lead on this one, but Bleszinski says that he definitely is involved in playing the game and giving feedback on development. "It was a project that was pitched internally. I was a staunch supporter of the idea, because the game is just like a no-brainer -- I was like yes." So Epic is hard at work on Fortnite, Chair Entertainment is doing Infinity Blade on iOS, and we're curious as to what Bleszinski is up to lately. "I just hang out at the beach these days," he joked. "No, trust me, I have plenty to work on, it's just a lot of unannounced stuff. Trying to figure out where a lot of things are going in the next five years." Given the success of Chair's iOS offerings, is that platform something that Epic's main branch would consider making games for? Bleszinski says no. "If we were to do that, which we're not, we'd probably make like six or seven iOS games. Our bread and butter is still with triple A and it's still largely with console, but it remains to be seen what happens."
Epic Games announces Fortnite
With Gears of War 3 concluding Epic's flagship franchise this year, it's on to something new for the developer. It was kind enough to show just what that is tonight at Spike's VGAs: Fortnite. Fortnite sees characters building forts and emplacements against monsters and other terrors of the night. Platforms were not announced.
