Esports tournament organiser ESL FACEIT Group has unveiled a new competitive experience for free-to-play battle royale title Fortnite.
Known as ESL Featuring Fortnite, the format will utilise Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) to create new game modes and act as an alternative to the Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) competitive format.
According to a release, the launch of ESL Featuring Fortnite will ‘reimagine competitive Fortnite’ by taking inspiration from FPS titles to create four-versus-four team-based game modes. The project will also feature ‘specialised character classes’ to encourage teamwork and add elements of strategy into gameplay. EFG announced that it is also working with 404 Creative to develop the game modes, which include ‘Capture the Flag’, ‘Hardpoint’ and ‘Shrinking Zone’.
ESL FACEIT Group aims to build a self-sustaining and community-driven esports ecosystem with the help of Creator Economy 2.0, an initiative created by Epic Games for island creators to earn money based on the engagement generated by their in-game creations. Working alongside the initiative, the organiser intends to reinvest a portion of the revenue generated back into the ecosystem.
The tournament organiser has also announced Team Heretics, Karmine Corp, Zeta Division, and Team Dignitas will field ESL Featuring Fortnite rosters alongside Brazilian esports organisation LOUD.
ESL FACEIT Group isn’t the first entity to utilise Fortnite to create custom experiences. In February 2024, GameSquare joined forces with Mastercard to create a Fortnite island aiming to raise awareness of deforestation.
Brian Krämer, Senior Director of Game Ecosystems, Growth Titles at ESL FACEIT Group, spoke on the news: “ESL Featuring Fortnite is all about offering fans more ways to play and compete.
“Not only does it promote a new calibre of team play, but it creates new avenues for esports organisations to find the next breakout star. We’re excited to watch this initiative grow and evolve for all kinds of players.”
