Lucasfilm Exec Says Fortnite is the Future of Star Wars Storytelling

That’s nary moon. It’s an island. A Fortnite island, to beryllium exact. As you astir apt cognize by now, Star Wars is headed to Fortnite successful a large way. Starting May 1, developers volition beryllium capable to “create Star Wars-inspired islands successful Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) and Fortnite Creative utilizing curated assets and tools from [Epic's] largest IP toolset to date.” That means fan-favorite characters (Luke, Leia, Vader), locations (Hoth, Nevarro, Tatooine), vehicles (X-Wings, TIE Fighters, AATs) volition beryllium afloat disposable and playable wrong Fortnite.

Ahead of the authoritative launch, I sat down with James Waugh, Senior Vice President of Franchise Story and Creative Strategy astatine Lucasfilm to speech astir conscionable however this caller acquisition fits into the wide Star Wars canon, whether fans tin expect to spot Legends skins successful Fortnite immoderate clip soon, and if we tin expect much exclusive looks astatine Star Wars movie and TV contented wrong Fortnite.

Star Wars: Galactic Siege volition beryllium disposable successful Fortnite starting May 1.

“To us, it's a no-brainer,” Waugh says of putting first-looks astatine big-screen Star Wars properties successful Fortnite. “Given the heavy past of the past fewer large Fortnite Star Wars events that we've done, I deliberation it's beauteous wide conscionable what a large assemblage that is astatine the moment. It's virtually wherever audiences are now, and it's wherever we're spending a batch of our time. And the quality to besides make immoderate benignant of synergies betwixt Interactive and the linear contented is conscionable the vernacular.”

Beyond trailers and movie clips, Lucasfilm is attempting to entreaty to hardcore gamers by diving deeper into Fortnite. Some of the caller islands include:

Star Wars: Galactic Siege: Think seizure the flag, but arsenic a full- blown AAA Star Wars game, wherever you tin beryllium immoderate Star Wars tegument adjacent if you don’t ain it.

Star Wars: Droid Tycoon: A classical tycoon game, but afloat Star Wars.

Star Wars: Escape Vader: A existent Star Wars fearfulness crippled – deliberation Dead By Daylight oregon Alien Isolation – wherever the sanction of the crippled is to debar Vader and forestall him from sidesplitting you.

“Those are conscionable specified large absorbing genres that acceptable Star Wars truthful good from a phantasy perspective,” Waugh says. “The thought of endurance fearfulness games, mixing with Darth Vader, 1 of the scariest large characters to ever travel retired of cinema is perfect. [And] droids, who doesn't privation to physique droids? We’re each truly excited to springiness fans these authentic tools that could empower them to make their ain Star Wars experiences.”

One of the biggest questions that Star Wars fans and Fortnite players alike person is whether the caller acquisition volition ever see quality skins beyond the authoritative canon. Will we spot Revan oregon Starkiller successful Fortnite? Waugh says maybe, but not yet. “I wouldn't accidental that we've gotten to that yet successful this space,” Waugh says. “Our absorption is truly connected giving fans the tools that this playset offers to spot what they could create. Because I honestly deliberation that's truly [where] the magic is. I would hatred to dictate and springiness radical thing that's Legends and alternatively springiness them authentic characters. That to maine is what the powerfulness present is, to spot what amusive remixed ways audiences volition contribute.”

By bringing Star Wars to Fortnite, Lucasfilm knows that it’s handing implicit the keys to a immense beingness to players. I asked Waugh whether oregon not the workplace would beryllium utilizing that Fortnite sandbox to perchance glean ideas for upcoming movies and TV shows.

“I don't deliberation we're looking astatine it [that way],” Waugh says. “I deliberation we're engaging arsenic fans and seeing what tin happen. But I recovered implicit my years that there's this zeitgeist to Star Wars. It conscionable comes from the emotion and the fandom ecosystem and determination are definite things radical privation to see. So who knows?”

With the authoritative motorboat of Fortnite Star Wars Islands lone a fewer days away, Lucasfilm is conscionable scratching the aboveground connected however creator-led contented mightiness play into the Star Wars Galaxy. Waugh says that successful summation to a robust slate of movies, TV shows, and games, UGC is undoubtedly the aboriginal of the franchise.

“I don't deliberation that it's adjacent portion of the aboriginal of the franchise. I deliberation it is simply a captious portion of the storytelling ecosystem today,” Waugh says. “I deliberation that Star Wars gaming expressions are a cardinal portion of what has made Star Wars successful. I've been playing Star Wars games ever since Trench Run. We’re surviving successful a media scenery wherever radical privation to entree authentic expressions of the things they emotion from truthful galore antithetic ways. And our occupation is to marque definite that we springiness them that.”

Michael Peyton is the Senior Editorial Director of Events & Entertainment astatine IGN, starring amusement contented and sum of tentpole events including IGN Live, San Diego Comic Con, gamescom, and IGN Fan Fest. He's spent 20 years moving successful the games and amusement industry, and his adventures person taken him everyplace from the Oscars to Japan to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Follow him connected Bluesky @MichaelPeyton