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Fortnite Ecosystem v28.00 Update
The Fortnite Team
The v28.00 update brings the Fixed Point and Fixed Angle Camera devices, the Third Person Controls device, Map Controller device, and the Volume device. We've added more gameplay items you've asked for, changes to the Phone tool, plus lots of updates to devices. Also, in case you missed it, there’s a new Search function in Discover!
Bug fixes for Creative, UEFN, and Verse can be found in our documentation on the Epic Developer Community site.
Village is a sample island that showcases the new camera and controls devices (which are detailed below and are in Early Access), as well as the Volume and Map Controller devices. Village will be updated to demonstrate new features as they are released in Fortnite Creative and UEFN.
With this initial release, players will spawn into their homestead and from there explore the world including a town, a wooded area, and rivers. As they move through the different areas of the world, they'll automatically switch between different camera views depending on their location or interactions.
Players can also see the new Map Controller device in action, with a custom map and minimap that match the Village art style. Players will also see the minimap changing to an interior map when they move inside a building, which demonstrates the ability to alternate between multiple maps.
With the Fixed Point Camera device, you place the camera on a spot and it doesn't move. However it can pivot towards a look-at point. In the Village sample island, this is the camera used when a player is inside a building or in conversation with an NPC.
The Fixed Angle Camera device provides a fixed view that the camera follows to frame a look-at point, but doesn’t rotate. In Village, this camera type is used when players are exploring the town or adventuring in the wood, and to achieve the sidescroller view when they are crossing the bridge.
The Third Person Controls device provides a way to manipulate the player’s movement with the new camera system. In the standard Fortnite third-person view, player movement is tied to the direction the camera is facing. This new device enables you to unbind the player movement from the camera and adjust how players move independently.
For example, you can allow the player to move and target enemies in any direction, detached from the way the camera is facing.
*Early Access means we’re giving you an opportunity to try out a feature that’s still under development. When a device is released as Early Access, its core functionality can be used effectively. We’ll take any feedback you provide to improve the device for final release. Please note, because the new camera and control devices in this release are still in Early Access, they come with a few limitations that you can find out more about here.
Since Early Access features are subject to change, you may have to adjust a device’s implementation in your island as we work towards the final version being released. Early Access features will see incremental updates as we fix bugs and address feedback.
Be sure to complete thorough testing when publishing islands containing Early Access devices, as we can’t guarantee that all systems—for example, some weapons or other devices—will be fully compatible with them all.
With the new Fixed Point Camera, Fixed Angle Camera and Third Person Controls devices out in Early Access, learn about some types of games you can make in our Designing with Cameras and Controls documentation.
For UEFN-specific use cases, check out Gameplay Cameras and Controls in Unreal Editor for Fortnite.
The Map Controller device can be used to customize the behavior of the map and minimap. You can specify the exact framing of the map, activate different maps for different players, and, in UEFN, you can even use a custom map texture.
Additionally, two new options have been added to the Map Indicator Device. You can now assign a custom texture in UEFN, and the icon can be scaled using the new Icon Scale option.
The Volume device gives you the ability to trigger events based on a location, and whether a player is entering or exiting that location. It is designed to be significantly cheaper on memory than existing volumes. The Volume device works particularly well with the new camera devices, allowing you to change from one camera view to another when players enter or exit the area of the Volume.
v28.00 introduces a new category in players’ Locker: Cars. Now players will be able to customize Sports Cars with their equipped Car cosmetic.
Sports Car customization will apply to all Fortnite ecosystem islands containing the Sports Car Spawner in v28.00. When a player enters a Whiplash spawned from the Sports Car Spawner, the vehicle model will update to the current Car selection in that player’s Locker. This alters the collision of the vehicle, but does not alter the performance of the vehicle. Note that the Octane spawned from the Octane Spawner will not be affected.
We've scheduled an island option for a future update to give creators the ability to decide if Car cosmetics update Sports Cars on their island.
In social media, surveys, and other forms of feedback, you've asked us for specific weapons and other items. We're listening! Here are a few you've been asking for:
We'll keep working on bringing you the things you want to make better experiences for your players.
The existing Bandage, Medkit, Small Shield Potion, and Shield Potion have had (OG) appended to their name, and for these items movement still cancels the action. The v28.00 versions of these consumables have been added to the Consumables menu. Loot has also been updated, so that Chests now drop these v28.00 versions.
Creators continue to have control over this feature with the Island Settings option Allow Hurdle, which can be set to On or Off.
Some changes were made to vehicle speeds in Chapter 5 of Fortnite Battle Royale. To avoid disruptions to existing Creative and UEFN islands, the vehicles spawned from the Sports Car Spawner device will retain their speeds from before v28.00. We're working on an option for creators to opt into the new vehicle speeds in a future update.
We're working on an option for a future update that gives you control over the interaction decay rate, so you can choose whether the interaction decay is instant or if it decays slowly over time.
Grapplers now have the Grappler Fall Damage Immunity option in Island Settings. The Fall Damage option must be set to On for this new option to have an effect. The default value is True so that islands continue to function as they did before the update.
This new option will affect the following items:
We’ve added Verse APIs for the Patchwork devices, so you can enable and disable Patchwork devices using code!
To access Patchwork devices in Verse, you will need to use the new `Devices/Patchwork` module. You can do this by adding `using { /Fortnite.com/Devices/Patchwork } ` at the top of your Verse file.
For more details, check out our Verse API Reference documentation.
To match up with Fortnite Creative, we've added persistence options for the following devices in UEFN:
Bug fixes for Creative, UEFN, and Verse can be found in our documentation on the Epic Developer Community site.
New Village Sample Island
Village is a sample island that showcases the new camera and controls devices (which are detailed below and are in Early Access), as well as the Volume and Map Controller devices. Village will be updated to demonstrate new features as they are released in Fortnite Creative and UEFN. With this initial release, players will spawn into their homestead and from there explore the world including a town, a wooded area, and rivers. As they move through the different areas of the world, they'll automatically switch between different camera views depending on their location or interactions.
Players can also see the new Map Controller device in action, with a custom map and minimap that match the Village art style. Players will also see the minimap changing to an interior map when they move inside a building, which demonstrates the ability to alternate between multiple maps.
New Fixed Point Camera Device (Early Access*)
With the Fixed Point Camera device, you place the camera on a spot and it doesn't move. However it can pivot towards a look-at point. In the Village sample island, this is the camera used when a player is inside a building or in conversation with an NPC.
New Fixed Angle Camera Device (Early Access)
The Fixed Angle Camera device provides a fixed view that the camera follows to frame a look-at point, but doesn’t rotate. In Village, this camera type is used when players are exploring the town or adventuring in the wood, and to achieve the sidescroller view when they are crossing the bridge.
New Third Person Controls Device (Early Access)
The Third Person Controls device provides a way to manipulate the player’s movement with the new camera system. In the standard Fortnite third-person view, player movement is tied to the direction the camera is facing. This new device enables you to unbind the player movement from the camera and adjust how players move independently. For example, you can allow the player to move and target enemies in any direction, detached from the way the camera is facing.
*Early Access means we’re giving you an opportunity to try out a feature that’s still under development. When a device is released as Early Access, its core functionality can be used effectively. We’ll take any feedback you provide to improve the device for final release. Please note, because the new camera and control devices in this release are still in Early Access, they come with a few limitations that you can find out more about here.
Since Early Access features are subject to change, you may have to adjust a device’s implementation in your island as we work towards the final version being released. Early Access features will see incremental updates as we fix bugs and address feedback.
Be sure to complete thorough testing when publishing islands containing Early Access devices, as we can’t guarantee that all systems—for example, some weapons or other devices—will be fully compatible with them all.
Designing Experiences Using the New Cameras and Controls
With the new Fixed Point Camera, Fixed Angle Camera and Third Person Controls devices out in Early Access, learn about some types of games you can make in our Designing with Cameras and Controls documentation. For UEFN-specific use cases, check out Gameplay Cameras and Controls in Unreal Editor for Fortnite.
New Map Controller Device
The Map Controller device can be used to customize the behavior of the map and minimap. You can specify the exact framing of the map, activate different maps for different players, and, in UEFN, you can even use a custom map texture.Additionally, two new options have been added to the Map Indicator Device. You can now assign a custom texture in UEFN, and the icon can be scaled using the new Icon Scale option.
New Volume Device
The Volume device gives you the ability to trigger events based on a location, and whether a player is entering or exiting that location. It is designed to be significantly cheaper on memory than existing volumes. The Volume device works particularly well with the new camera devices, allowing you to change from one camera view to another when players enter or exit the area of the Volume.
Discover Updates
In Case You Missed It: Search in Discover
It’s easier than ever for players to find islands in Discover with the new Search function. Go beyond what is featured, and find fun games and genres for you and your friends. You can now search for islands by island code, island name, or tags.Algorithm Update
To enhance the Discover experience, we are experimenting with a new variable in the algorithm that populates the New, Updated, and Trending rows. This new variable will prioritize islands with thumbnails that follow best practices. Please make sure that your thumbnails align with our recommended specifications to optimize their visual appeal and overall effectiveness.
New Cosmetic Category
v28.00 introduces a new category in players’ Locker: Cars. Now players will be able to customize Sports Cars with their equipped Car cosmetic.Sports Car customization will apply to all Fortnite ecosystem islands containing the Sports Car Spawner in v28.00. When a player enters a Whiplash spawned from the Sports Car Spawner, the vehicle model will update to the current Car selection in that player’s Locker. This alters the collision of the vehicle, but does not alter the performance of the vehicle. Note that the Octane spawned from the Octane Spawner will not be affected.
We've scheduled an island option for a future update to give creators the ability to decide if Car cosmetics update Sports Cars on their island.
You Want It, We've Got It!
In social media, surveys, and other forms of feedback, you've asked us for specific weapons and other items. We're listening! Here are a few you've been asking for:
Weapons
- Snowball Launcher
- The Dub
Consumables
- Spire Jump Boots
We'll keep working on bringing you the things you want to make better experiences for your players.
Updated Health and Shield Items
The existing Bandage, Medkit, Small Shield Potion, and Shield Potion have had (OG) appended to their name, and for these items movement still cancels the action. The v28.00 versions of these consumables have been added to the Consumables menu. Loot has also been updated, so that Chests now drop these v28.00 versions.
Player Movement Updates
Differences from Battle Royale
To avoid disruptions to existing islands, Fortnite Creative and UEFN islands will have the following differences from Fortnite Battle Royale Chapter 5:- Islands will use the new movement visuals but will keep the movement speed from before v28.00. (Keep in mind that the new visuals were optimized for the new player movement speeds.)
- The ability to launch up player-built walls with ledges will not be available to Creative/UEFN islands in this update.
Improvements to Hurdling
Hurdling has been improved for v28.00. A new setting has been added in the Game Settings menu: Game > Movement settings > Hurdle Activation. The default value for Hurdle Activation is pressing the Jump control to start hurdling manually. Optionally, players can select Hold Forward to automatically hurdle over small obstacles.Creators continue to have control over this feature with the Island Settings option Allow Hurdle, which can be set to On or Off.
Vehicle Speed Changes
Some changes were made to vehicle speeds in Chapter 5 of Fortnite Battle Royale. To avoid disruptions to existing Creative and UEFN islands, the vehicles spawned from the Sports Car Spawner device will retain their speeds from before v28.00. We're working on an option for creators to opt into the new vehicle speeds in a future update.
DBNO and Reboot Van Changes
Starting in v28.00, players won't instantly lose progress if interrupted when reviving and interacting with the Reboot Van. Instead, the progress meter will slowly decay. If the revival or Reboot Van interaction stops, a teammate can resume the interaction and benefit from the first player’s progress.We're working on an option for a future update that gives you control over the interaction decay rate, so you can choose whether the interaction decay is instant or if it decays slowly over time.
Changes to the Phone Tool
Inventory objects placed with the Phone tool (not copied items) will now spawn facing the player. If Grid Snap is on, they'll spawn facing the nearest cardinal direction instead.
Updates to Devices
Automated Turret Device
We've added new options, functions, and events to the Automated Turret device. This gives you lots of new ways to use the device!New options:
- Max Target Distance
- Delay Before Firing
- Turret Damage
- Rate of Fire
- Allow Idle Rotation
- Rotation Style
- Idle Rotation Angle
- Idle Rotation Multiplier
- Tracking Rotation Multiplier
New Functions and Events:
- Set Target
- On Found Target
- On Lost Target
New Spare Weapon Ammo Option
The Spare Weapon Ammo option has been added to—or has replaced the Bonus Weapon Ammo option—on the devices listed below. This change improves the consistency of device options across devices. The amount of ammo can be set to any number including 0, so you can determine exactly how much additional ammo the weapon spawns with.- Capture Item Spawner
- Class Designer
- Elimination Manager
- Item Granter
- Item Spawner
- Team Settings & Inventory
- Vending Machine
New Option for Grind Rails and Vines
Grind Rail and Grind Vine devices now have the Apply Fall Damage Immunity option. This determines if players should be immune from fall damage after grinding ends. The default value is True so that islands continue to function as they did before the update.New Container Added to Chest and Ammo Gallery
A Present container has been added to the Chest and Ammo Gallery. The loot pool for the Present contains several wintery-themed items.
New Island Setting for Grapplers
Grapplers now have the Grappler Fall Damage Immunity option in Island Settings. The Fall Damage option must be set to On for this new option to have an effect. The default value is True so that islands continue to function as they did before the update. This new option will affect the following items:
- Grappler
- Icy Grappler
- Skye’s Grappler
Adding Verse APIs for Patchwork Devices
We’ve added Verse APIs for the Patchwork devices, so you can enable and disable Patchwork devices using code!To access Patchwork devices in Verse, you will need to use the new `Devices/Patchwork` module. You can do this by adding `using { /Fortnite.com/Devices/Patchwork } ` at the top of your Verse file.
For more details, check out our Verse API Reference documentation.
New: Timer, Tracker, and Switch Devices Now in UEFN
To match up with Fortnite Creative, we've added persistence options for the following devices in UEFN:
- Timer device
- Tracker device
- Switch device
New in Creator Portal
- We’re adding a new island tag, Patchwork, for use in Creator Portal.
- The trailer videos that you’ve uploaded to Creator Portal to showcase your islands will now automatically be featured on your very own island pages on the Fortnite.com website, with audio turned off.
- Reverting to an earlier UEFN Project version of your island will now display the various points of player data that could be affected, and offer a confirmation before proceeding with the roll-back.