Chapter 7, Season 1 may mark a shift in how Fortnite’s storyline is created

A recent claim from the well-known leaker ShiinaBR has ignited a lot of buzz about a possible change in how Epic Games develops major story phases.

ShiinaBR claims that Chapter 7, Season 1, could be created using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). If this is true, it would represent a major shift in the company’s approach to creating seasonal content.

Rather than relying on external tools, developers could use UEFN to craft seamless, efficient content directly within the game, making the entire process smoother and more integrated.

Fortnite leaks: UEFN marks milestone

According to reputed Fortnite leaker and data miner ShiinaBR, the first season created entirely using UEFN could debut by December 10, 2025.

This would mark the start of Chapter 7, Season 1, following the current trend Epic Games has adhered to since Chapter 4, which includes four main seasons and one spin-off season leading into the next chapter.

Within the next 320 days, we are likely to see the first Fortnite Battle Royale season created entirely in UEFN pic.twitter.com/GQUle1PBxu

— Shiina (@ShiinaBR) January 23, 2025

Such a change would represent a significant moment in the game’s ongoing development. Still, the season created entirely using UEFN is unlikely to differ significantly from what players currently experience.

The potential benefits and limitations of UEFN

While UEFN isn’t without its flaws, it has already been used to create modes like Reload and Ballistic. These modes demonstrate that it can produce high-quality content that closely matches traditional methods.

However, the memory limit imposed by UEFN remains a notable concern.

In a post on social media platform X, Chad Mustard—sibling of Donald Mustard and former top creative officer at Epic Games—highlighted this issue.

Mustard stressed that Epic Games has yet to announce any plans to raise the memory limit. Currently, the limit is set at 100,000 memory units. Exceeding this threshold can lead to problems with published Islands.

For those new to it, the memory limit defines the maximum capacity for adding devices and other assets to an island.

While the gaming giant can bend this rule, doing so is likely to cause issues with the published Island. This has been evident in Islands that exceeded the memory limit and required adjustments to ensure smooth functionality.

Despite these challenges, ShiinaBR’s prediction suggests that a season created entirely with UEFN could still succeed.

The future of Fortnite storytelling

Epic Games continues to push the limits of what’s possible with UEFN, and substantial advancements will have been made by the end of Chapter 6.

With more experience using Unreal Editor for Fortnite, the game development studio will likely gain the confidence to create entire seasons with the tool.

Although Chapter 7, Season 1, is being considered a potential showcase for UEFN’s full capabilities, a delay to allow for further testing and refinement is also possible.

While traditional content creation methods will still play a role, the gaming company is expected to increasingly use Unreal Editor for Fortnite to craft more immersive and engaging seasons.

The growing importance of Fortnite Creative

Fortnite Creative continues to dominate the game’s user engagement landscape, with 36.5% of total playtime in 2024 dedicated to this mode and creator payouts totaling $352 million (USD).

Given the success of Unreal Editor for Fortnite, it’s clear that Epic Games will increasingly rely on this tool for content creation.

Fortnite’s development trajectory suggests that UEFN will become more integral to content creation. This change is expected to occur gradually over several years, ultimately optimizing and streamlining how new content is developed.

Though UEFN currently has some limitations, its many advantages make it a compelling choice for Epic Games, offering the potential for greater efficiency and creativity.

Fortnite’s continued advancement will allow UEFN’s capabilities to unlock fresh opportunities, paving the way for innovations that will shape the game’s future.