That’s a really important part of the player experience. Within the world of Unreal Editor for Fortnite, Verse doesn’t expose a way to get player data. We are operating an ecosystem that doesn’t let people do the bad things that are found elsewhere. Branded islands, branded concerts which incorporate these brands in fun ways that players actually like, as opposed to displaying advertising to play some stupid video. There is a wealth of opportunity there for all these companies that have previously advertised to do partnerships with creators and to create crossovers of all sorts. Players hate it and they aren’t very engaged with that content - whereas, give them a drivable Ferrari or a cool shirt they can wear, and they love it. I think brand presence is a much healthier way for companies to get involved in the metaverse than advertising. The best moments in Fortnite have been other brands entering the world of Fortnite – fashion companies, the Ferrari dropping into the world, Marvel and Star Wars crossovers. Do you believe advertising has a role in Fortnite’s future, or do you think the current model is robust enough to handle the challenges of the market? The interview has been edited for length and clarity. It’s a sandbox of new tools for any marketer thinking about how their brand might exist in a game.ĭigiday sat down with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and executive vice president Saxs Persson to learn about how these new developments could impact the role of brands, creators and ads on the platform. The new developments include Unreal Editor for Fortnite, a new toolset that helps players make deeper experiences in Fortnite Creative, and the Fab marketplace, a gigantic catalog of high quality digital assets, as well as the Creator Economy 2.0, which gives 40% of revenue from Fortnite Creative and Battle Royale to in-game creators. Ultimately, it comes down to getting to a point where marketing in games is ad free, not brand free.Įpic’s recent announcements at last week’s Game Developers Conference make that all too clear.

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