How to make a Fortnite game with UEFN
To make a Fortnite game, you need an Epic Games account, Fortnite and UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite) installed on a Windows PC, then a project, a few devices and, if needed, some Verse. This guide covers the whole path, from installation to publishing in the Creator Portal and finding your first players.
Fortnite Creative or UEFN: where should you start?
Epic Games offers two complementary tools for making a Fortnite game (Epic):
| Aspect | Fortnite Creative | UEFN |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Inside the game, on consoles, mobile and PC | Separate application, Windows PC only |
| Game logic | Devices connected in predefined ways | The same devices, plus the Verse language |
| Content | Fortnite props, scenery and assets | Fortnite content, plus your own 3D models, textures, materials and Niagara effects |
| Best for | Learning to create, fast prototyping | Going beyond what devices can do |
Creative is still a good place to learn devices. But if you already know your game will need code or custom assets, go straight to UEFN. You can also import a Creative island into UEFN: from then on it can only be edited in UEFN, and player data doesn’t carry over. The Creator Portal lets you revert to the Creative version if you need to (Epic).
UEFN system requirements
UEFN runs on PC only. Here are the specs Epic publishes (Epic):
- OS
- Windows 10 64-bit, version 1909 (revision .1350) or later
- CPU
- Quad-core Intel or AMD, 2.5 GHz or faster
- Memory
- 16 GB minimum, 32 GB recommended
- Graphics card
- NVIDIA GTX 960, AMD R9 280 or equivalent DirectX 11 GPU minimum, DirectX 12 recommended
- Video memory
- 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
- Storage
- NVMe SSD
The minimum spec is enough to explore the editor. As your island grows, aim for the recommended spec: you’ll spend a lot of time launching test sessions.
Install UEFN and create your first project
Setup takes a few steps (Epic):
- Create an Epic Games account at epicgames.com. Players under 13 need a parent or guardian to create it.
- Install the Epic Games Launcher, then Fortnite from the launcher. Fortnite is required: UEFN uses it for playtesting.
- Install Unreal Editor for Fortnite from the launcher. Verse comes with it.
- Launch UEFN. The first launch can take several minutes.
- Create a project in the Project Browser. The island templates tab offers a Blank island and templates to customize, and Feature Examples teach a feature or Verse by example (Epic).
To play your island, click Launch Session: Fortnite opens on your project. You can keep editing and push your changes into the running session without starting over.
Devices: game logic without code
Devices are the building blocks of a Fortnite game: they handle player interactions, timed events, scoring and loadouts (Epic). You place them in the level, set their options in the Details panel, then connect them: when an event fires on one device, it triggers an action on another.
A few useful devices for a first game:
- Player Spawner: spawns players at a specific spot.
- Button and Trigger: react to an interaction or a player passing through.
- Item Granter: hands out a weapon or an item.
- Timer: runs a countdown and fires an event when it ends.
- Score Manager and End Game: keep score and end the match.
A button wired to an Item Granter gives a weapon to whoever presses it; a Timer wired to an End Game device ends the round after five minutes. With a dozen well-connected devices, you already have a playable game mode.
Verse basics for your Fortnite game
When devices aren’t enough (a shop with several prices, saved progression, a rule that depends on several conditions), Verse takes over. Epic sums up the progression this way: Verse is to UEFN what UEFN is to Creative (Epic).
Your first program, following the official tutorial (Epic):
- From the Verse menu, open Verse Explorer, right-click your project name and add a new Verse file from the Verse Device template.
- The file opens in Visual Studio Code. Under the line OnBegin<override>()<suspends>:void=, add Print("Hello, world!") and save.
- Run Verse > Build Verse Code to compile.
- Drag the new device from the Content Browser into the level, then click Launch Session.
- In game, open Island Settings, then the Log tab: your message is there.
Code inside OnBegin runs when the game starts. From there you can react to devices in the level, keep score or wait for an event. Verse has rules of its own (failure contexts, effects, concurrency), which we cover in Learn Verse, Fortnite’s programming language.
If you’d rather hand off the writing, Island Pilot’s Verse Coder writes the code in your project, builds it through the editor and fixes errors from the real diagnostics. Every change is shown to you before it’s applied.
Publishing your Fortnite game: Creator Portal, eligibility and ratings
Who can publish
To publish and get paid, join the Fortnite Developer Program from the Creator Portal. You must be at least 18 and either have made a real-money purchase through Epic in the last 365 days, or have spent at least $20 in Fortnite over the same period (Epic). You then pick a Creator Code of 3 to 16 characters: it’s the developer name shown on your islands, and you can only change it once every 12 months.
The publishing steps
- In UEFN, Project > Publish Project creates a private version of your island. It isn’t public and skips moderation: its code is for your playtests.
- In the Creator Portal, open the project, then Publishing > Private Versions and Create release. The version is validated: an island that uses experimental features can’t be published.
- Fill in the game details: title, description, tags and how-to-play instructions.
- Complete the IARC questionnaire to get your age rating.
- Upload promotional media: landscape and portrait thumbnails, logo, videos, screenshots. You can A/B test your visuals.
- Add attribution for third-party assets, then choose visibility: listed, unlisted (reachable only by island code) or publish manually later. Submit for review.
Moderation checks metadata and media first, then gameplay. If your submission fails, you get feedback in the Creator Portal and by email, then fix it and resubmit (Epic). Every island must also follow the Fortnite Developer Rules.
IARC age ratings
Every island published in Fortnite needs an age rating assigned by the IARC (International Age Rating Coalition): one questionnaire produces the ratings for each region. It asks for an email address for IARC messages and a public customer support email (Epic).
| Region | Rating board | Maximum rating Fortnite accepts |
|---|---|---|
| North America | ESRB | Teen |
| Europe and UK | PEGI | PEGI 16 |
| Germany | USK | 16 |
| South Korea | GRAC | 12+ |
| Rest of world | IARC | 16+ |
An island rated above a region’s maximum isn’t available there; if it exceeds the maximum everywhere, it can’t be published until the content is changed and the questionnaire is retaken.
Finding the first players for your Fortnite game
A listed island appears on your profile page and can be surfaced in Discover, Fortnite’s game catalog. Nothing guarantees a spot: player response is what counts. To improve your odds:
- Polish your thumbnail and title, and use the A/B test offered at publishing.
- Share your island code where your audience is: Discord, TikTok, YouTube, creator communities.
- Work on retention: engagement payouts take into account active playtime, players returning on later days and new players you bring in (Epic).
- Update regularly, guided by the Creator Portal analytics.
- Consider the Sponsored Row, a Discover row where creators bid for placement (VGC).
On the revenue side, Epic puts 40% of Fortnite’s eligible net revenue into a pool split monthly according to island engagement (Epic). Creators can also sell items in their islands: they normally earn 50% of the V-Bucks value, raised to 100% from January 9, 2026 through January 31, 2027 (Epic). To dig deeper, read about Fortnite creator earnings and the Discover algorithm.
To decide what to build, Island Pilot’s Map Trends tab shows live stats for Fortnite islands, right where you work.
FAQ
Is UEFN free?
Yes. Fortnite and Unreal Editor for Fortnite are free downloads from the Epic Games Launcher. All you need is a capable Windows PC.
Can I use UEFN on a Mac, console or phone?
No, UEFN runs on Windows PCs only. Fortnite Creative, on the other hand, is available on consoles, mobile and PC.
Do I need to code to make a Fortnite game?
No. Devices let you build a complete game mode without code. Verse becomes useful for custom mechanics.
How old do you have to be to publish a Fortnite island?
You must be at least 18 to join the Fortnite Developer Program, which lets you publish and earn engagement payouts. Collaborating on a UEFN project is also limited to people 18 and over.
How do you make money from a Fortnite game?
Through engagement payouts, calculated each month from player activity on your island, and through in-island sales. See our article on creator earnings.
What is an island code?
It’s the identifier that launches a specific island in Fortnite. An unlisted island can only be reached with its code, and a private version has its own code too, for playtests.