New game Moontopia has been made by filmmakers and VFX experts using Fortnite as a developer platform. It's proof Epic Games is reshaping who can make games, and I love it. In fact, how games are being made is changing and it's getting very exciting.
Moontopia is a shooter built using Unreal Fortnite Editor (UEFN), and is available right now for Fortnite players. This is one of the more interesting new games released this year simply because it's making use of a new game developer platform open to, well… everyone. Epic Games wants Fortnite and UEFN to become a gateway for creator-driven games, and Moontopia shows this is now a reality.
Developers making games using UEFN now get a cut of the revenue for titles made and released on their Fortnite 'islands', and Moontopia is one of the first to really grab me. Creator and founder of HaZimation, Hasraf ‘HaZ’ Dulull is a filmmaker who is using game dev tools, like Unreal Engine 5 and UEFN, to compliment his team's VFX background to create games and interactive experiences. (It's a similar path that led filmmaker Tim Richardson to start creating shorts using Unreal Engine.)
Dulull said in a statement: "Our team has crafted a unique blend of action and storytelling that will transport players to a world they've never experienced before. With so many players across the globe playing Fortnite, we can't wait to see players challenging themselves and cooperating with others in this brand-new adventure. We're excited to finally unleash Moontopia upon the Fortnite community."
Moontopia takes place on a mysterious alien moon and players need to fight their way across its surface against a horde of "interstellar invaders and colossal lunar beasts". There's solo play and multiplayer and makes use of all the features you'd expect from a game built inside Fortnite, including hectic shooting, zip-line escapes and moon vehicles.
The game looks fun, but it's how Moontopia has come about that really grabs me. As more creatives begin to realise games needn't cost millions to make and new pathways to release are available, we can see a true democratisation of development.
This suggests a bright future for small indies and creatives who want to make more of their skills
Seeing the team behind movies such as Rift and Beyond pivot to games suggests a bright future for small indies and creatives who want to make more of their skills. Take a look at our Unreal Engine 5 review for a little more on Epic's main platform, as well as news on how Kitbash 3D is making its pro assets available to everyone using Unreal Fortnite Editor.
Moontopia can be accessed through Fortnite on various platforms, including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 4 Slim, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, Xbox One Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Switch Lite.
