‘Star Wars’ and ‘Fortnite’ Unleash Three New Islands, Including a Horror Game Featuring Darth Vader

It was no April Fool’s joke when Fortnite announced on April 1 that it would enable developers to create “Star Wars“-inspired islands in Unreal Editor for Fortnite and Fortnite Creative.

Starting May 1, developers will be able to take characters, templates, tools and gameplay features, locations, vehicles and weapons from past Fortnite Battle Royale Seasons. The update allows developers to mix, match, and build their own “Star Wars” experiences for other players to explore.

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Ahead of May 1, Epic Games previewed three starter islands at an event in Los Angeles. “Galactic Siege,” “Droid Tycoon” and “Escape Vader” were all created with the new “Star Wars x UEFN” developer tools. The three starter islands that Epic developed in partnership with Disney are meant to give players a taste of what they can make.

Sean Shoptaw, executive VP of Disney Games and Digital Entertainment said, “’Star Wars’ continues to be one of the most powerful and enduring franchises in entertainment, and this year represents an extraordinary moment for fans around the world. With new stories, new characters, and new ways to experience the galaxy, we’re expanding the universe in ways that feel both fresh and deeply connected to what audiences’ love. The momentum across games, streaming, and immersive experiences is incredibly exciting, and we’re just beginning to tap into what’s possible for the future of ‘Star Wars.’”

Speaking at a special preview event, Andre Balta, Senior Director, Game Development, Fortnite, said “Star Wars” took over “Fortnite.” “We took all those amazing assets, the vehicles, the weapons, and decided to open that up to our ‘Fortnite’ development community.” He added, “Every game developer has a ‘Star Wars’ story they’ve always wanted to tell. Now any eligible creator can build assets in ‘Fortnite’ and ship a ‘Star Wars’ game.”

Balta spoke about the partnership with Disney and Lucasfilm and how collaborative the company was. “Disney and Lucasfilm approached this with a very developer focused mindset. We didn’t have a ton of restrictions on lore and brand rules. They really came from a position of ‘How do we give creators the Ultimate ‘Star Wars’ toolbox.”

About the starter islands:

Star Wars: Galactic Siege by JOGO Studios – Fight in large-scale PvP class-based battles with 10v10 combat across iconic Star Wars planets.

Described as a large battle. Players can particpate in large battles (The Empire vs. the Rebels) in familar locations.

The goal is to group up and find capture points. The longer you hold them, the more points you get, and the closer you are to winning.

Jeremy Pedron, lead game designer at Jogo Studios said, “When I was a kid, I always thought like, ‘Wow, if I could use the force, what would I do with it?’ We give you the ability to pick your powers, your lightsaber and pick your own stats for your force user.”

A star destroyer level will come out at launch, but after “The Mandalorian & Grogu’s” release,” another map, inspired by the movie will be available to players.

“Star Wars: Escape Vader” by Beyond Creative – Hide, run, and try to survive in this 4-player co-op game where you attempt to escape the terrifying Sith Lord, Darth Vader.

Horror will finally cross over with “Star Wars” thanks to Beyond Creative.

Described as a “Star Wars” horror game, a group of rebels infiltrate a derelict Star Destroyer and come face to face with Vader himself, and must work together to escape while being relentlessly hunted.

Kasper Weber, Beyond Creative’s CEO and co-founder explained, “When we started brainstorming about this experience, we wanted to create something bold, and we wanted to be a little bit different.” He continues, “This is why we landed on doing something horror, because we ealized that we all had in common this very twisted childhood question that we all had in our minds when watching the original movies and and the sequels, which was ‘How would it feel to be chased by Vader in some of those like iconic ship corridors? How would it be to feel his wrath?”

The game is a four-player horror experience where players infiltrate the stranded Imperial vessel and recover intelligence and resources, that must be extracted before the Empire closes in.

To stay alive, players must use the environment to your advantage by cooperating and creating distractions.”

The game is not about fighting Darth Vader, it’s about how long can a player survive him once he knows you’re on his ship.

“Star Wars: Droid Tycoon” by “FOAD” (Fear of a Dawn) – Build and customize droids using authentic Star Wars blueprints, manage your workshop and factory systems, and unlock rare components and special missions.

The droids of “Star Wars” do the hardest work, survive the worst odds and get the least amount of credit. The makers of “Droid Island” wanted to make a “deep and satisfying” game about them, celebrating the machines that power the universe.

There are over 40 droids to create in this game with more to come. “You build your workshop up become the greatest droid-smith in the galaxy,” said Scott Mark, the company’s creative director.