Epic Games Supporting Cross-Play Development by Sharing Tech for Free
Epic Games is a developer which is known for creating powerful technology that has transformed the gaming world. Just consider how many games are powered by the Unreal Engine. Now, Epic plans to share its Fortnite cross-play technology in hopes of furthering cross-play across the video game universe.
Epic Games Will Share Fortnite Cross-Play Tech for Free
Few games can boast the advanced cross-play capabilities of Fortnite. Cross-play is possible across major consoles including PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. But it also supported for Windows PC, Mac, Android and iOS.
Epic could sell the technology it used to achieve this, but instead, the developer will be giving it away at no cost.
Explaining the details, the company writes, “At Epic, our goal is to help game developers succeed. Throughout 2019, we’ll be launching a large set of cross-platform game services originally built for Fortnite, and battle-tested with 200,000,000 players across 7 platforms. These services will be free for all developers, and will be open to all engines, all platforms, and all stores. As a developer, you’re free to choose mix-and-match solutions from Epic and others as you wish.”
Obviously, this is an extensive process, so Epic will roll out the tech over time, introducing these features across Q2-3 of 2019:
- Cross-Platform Login, Friends, Presence, Profile, and Entitlements (coming Q2-Q3 2019 to PC, other platforms throughout 2019):
- PC/Mac Overlay API (coming Q3 2019)
- Cross-Platform Voice Comms (coming Q3 2019 to all platforms)
- Cross-Platform Parties and Matchmaking (coming Q3-4 2019 to all platforms)
- Cross-Platform Data Storage, Cloud-Saved Games (coming Q2 2019)
- Cross-Platform Achievements and Trophies (coming Q3 2019)
Also, take special note of the Cross-Platform Voice Comms. This is new technology. Like the other cross-play features, Epic will be giving it away at no charge.
For gamers who have been clamoring for cross-play to expand for other games, this is excellent news. Now, with these free resources available, other developers should have a chance to catch up to what Epic Games has been able to do with Fortnite. As we learn more, we will share updates with you on the free cross-play tech in our Fortnite news area.