Epic Games dropped a bombshell at Unreal Fest 2025 during the State of Unreal keynote, unveiling a trio of iconic franchises—Squid Game, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Star Wars—set to join the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). This powerhouse announcement signals a new era for Fortnite’s creator community, arming them with tools to craft immersive experiences inspired by these globally celebrated universes. Alongside these intellectual property (IP) integrations, Epic introduced cutting-edge tools like the Persona Device for AI-powered NPCs and the LEGO Brick Editor, further cementing Fortnite as a creative juggernaut.
Squid Game Lands in UEFN with Deadly Precision
Starting June 27, 2025, coinciding with the Netflix series finale, Squid Game assets will be available in UEFN. Creators will gain access to environment assets, NPCs, and disguise devices inspired by the dystopian drama’s chilling aesthetic. This official crossover follows years of fan-made Squid Game-inspired maps in Fortnite, such as “Red Light, Green Light” experiences and deathmatch-style games mimicking the show’s brutal competitions. These fan creations, built without official assets, showcased player ingenuity with custom mechanics for games like Tug of War and Glass Stepping Stones. Now, with authentic Squid Game tools, creators can elevate these concepts, designing intricate maps that capture the show’s tense atmosphere and iconic challenges, with publishing available later in summer 2025.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Bends into Fortnite in 2026
Following its appearance in Fortnite last year, Avatar: The Last Airbender will return in 2026 with UEFN integration. Creators will wield features, templates, and assets to craft experiences rooted in the elemental world of Aang and his companions. Expect islands featuring bending battles, Air Nomad temples, and Fire Nation strongholds, as creators tap into the show’s rich lore. The inclusion of Avatar assets promises to fuel dynamic, story-driven maps, building on the franchise’s vibrant aesthetic and cultural depth previously explored in Fortnite’s battle royale mode.
Star Wars Empowers Creators to Shape a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars is also joining UEFN at an unspecified future date, allowing creators to weave their own tales in the iconic galaxy. Building on the recent Fortnite Battle Royale: Galactic Battle season, which introduced an AI-powered Darth Vader NPC, this integration will provide assets to construct sprawling space operas. From Tatooine deserts to Death Star corridors, creators can design immersive Star Wars experiences, complete with lightsabers, blasters, and starships. The addition follows fan-made Star Wars-themed maps, like those recreating battles from the films, which have long captivated Fortnite’s player base with their creativity.
Epic Digital Assistant: AI-Powered Creation
The Epic Digital Assistant, a beta AI tool powered by GPT-4.1, was a highlight of the keynote, designed to simplify UEFN development. Available now via the Epic Developer Community, it supports creators by generating Verse code, providing workflow guidance, offering code snippets, and sparking map design ideas. Demonstrated at Unreal Fest, the assistant streamlines complex tasks, making game creation accessible to novices and experts alike. This tool empowers creators to bring intricate Squid Game, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Star Wars visions to life with unprecedented ease.
New Tools Amplify Creative Potential
Epic Games isn’t just bringing new IPs to UEFN; they’re revolutionizing how creators build. The Persona Device, set to launch later in 2025, will let creators craft AI-powered NPCs with customizable voices and personalities, inspired by the conversational Darth Vader NPC. Demonstrated live at Unreal Fest, this tool allows NPCs like “Mr. Buttons” to engage players in dynamic dialogue, pushing the boundaries of emergent gameplay. Additionally, the LEGO Brick Editor, launching June 17, 2025, offers 50 classic bricks in 42 colors for brick-by-brick island construction, alongside the LEGO Bloom Tycoon template for expansive building projects.
The Scene Graph feature, entering beta on June 7, 2025, will serve as UEFN’s new foundational layer, streamlining complex world-building. Since UEFN’s 2023 debut, creators have logged 11.2 billion hours across 260,000 user-made islands, with Epic paying out $722 million to creators. These tools aim to further empower the community, making Fortnite a sandbox for limitless imagination.
The integration of Squid Game, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Star Wars into UEFN marks a pivotal moment for Fortnite’s evolution as a platform for user-generated content. These IPs join existing franchises like LEGO, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Walking Dead, expanding the creative palette. While the Squid Game crossover aligns with its season finale, and Avatar targets 2026, Star Wars promises long-term storytelling potential. Epic’s focus on creator tools, from AI NPCs to brick-by-brick building, underscores their vision of Fortnite as a metaverse where players and creators shape the future of gaming together.
Source: Fortnite Creators / X
