14 DAY TRIAL // What we know:
Fortnite is the first game that's set to use the all-new Unreal Engine 4 from Epic Games, leading the way for the adoption of the next-generation technology by other studios, just like it happened with Unreal Engine 3 many years ago.
While Epic demonstrated UE4 with a variety of tech videos that depicted ultra-realistic fantasy settings, Fortnite is actual a stylized experience that's set in a more toned down fantasy universe.
The game sees players work together in an open sandbox in order to explore a quaint little suburban setting and scavenge gear that can be used to improve their standard fortification.
While during the day players need to hunt down parts and upgrade their buildings, at night they must fend off different monsters that attack their fortifications.
Thanks to the Unreal Engine 4, Epic wants to showcase a realistic approach to customization and allow players to interact with all sorts of things, including many building materials that can be applied to the walls of their fort.
No other details are known as of yet, as Epic has kept a tight lid on things, but a beta stage is expected to take place early this year, ahead of the game's launch sometime in 2013.
Why it matters:
Epic's Unreal Engine 3 powered a huge number of high-quality games this generation so you can bet that plenty of studios are interested in licensing Unreal Engine 4 once it becomes widely available.
As such, Fortnite has a lot to live up to, as Epic needs to demonstrate the power of its new technology both to other developers and to the actual consumers. While studios can be convinced with tech demonstrations and other such things, players need to be really impressed with Fortnite and UE4 if they are to get other games powered by the technology.
Fortnite is scheduled to be released this year exclusively for the PC.
The full list of Incoming 2013 articles can be read on Softpedia right here.