Unity and Epic Games have announced a groundbreaking partnership aimed at fostering an open and interoperable future for video gaming, unveiled during the Unite 2025 conference in Barcelona. This collaboration enables developers using Unity to publish their games directly into Fortnite, one of the world’s largest gaming ecosystems boasting over 500 million registered accounts. By integrating Unity titles into Fortnite’s discovery system, creators can leverage the platform’s massive audience to reach new players, while also participating in the Fortnite Creator Economy to monetize their content through the sale of in-game items and experiences. This move is designed to empower independent developers by providing seamless access to Fortnite’s robust infrastructure, allowing Unity games to coexist and interact within the battle royale’s expansive universe without requiring engine switches or complex porting processes.
In a reciprocal aspect of the deal, Unity is enhancing its cross-platform commerce platform to include support for Unreal Engine, set to launch in early 2026. This integration will allow Unreal Engine developers to manage comprehensive digital catalogs, integrate various payment providers, and operate web shops across PC, mobile, and web environments, with advanced tools for handling pricing strategies, promotions, and live operations. The goal is to streamline monetization for creators regardless of their chosen engine, reducing barriers to entry and promoting a more unified creator economy that rivals platforms like Roblox. This commerce unification is expected to create new revenue streams and operational efficiencies, enabling developers to focus more on content creation rather than backend logistics.
The announcement has been met with enthusiasm from industry leaders, highlighting the shift toward collaboration in a historically competitive landscape between the two engine giants. Matt Bromberg, President and CEO of Unity, expressed excitement about the partnership, stating, “We’re excited to partner with Epic Games to create more opportunities for game developers around the world. Choice and open systems create growth for everyone in the gaming ecosystem.” Similarly, Tim Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Epic Games, emphasized the broader vision, noting, “Just like the early days of the web, we believe that companies need to work together in order to build the open metaverse in a way that’s interoperable and fair. Working alongside Unity we’re helping developers build fun games, reach bigger audiences, and find success.” Additional specifics on implementation timelines and expanded features are slated for reveal in 2026, signaling this as the beginning of deeper integrations that could redefine cross-engine development and distribution in gaming.
Source: Epic Games, Unity
