Game Developer's Walking Dead Game in Fortnite: A New Frontier for Studios

The gaming industry has faced significant challenges in recent years, marked by layoffs, studio closures, and funding issues. Enrique Fuentes, CEO and co-founder of Teravision Games, felt these struggles firsthand following the release of their asymmetrical horror game, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, based on the 80s movie. Despite positive reception, including a 7 out of 10 from IGN, which praised its entertainment value akin to the film, Teravision found itself in a challenging position post-launch.

“2024 was a tough year for the entire industry, which made it difficult for us to secure our next project quickly,” Fuentes explained. Despite previous collaborations with major companies like Disney, Nickelodeon, and Xbox, finding a follow-up project proved challenging. With time running out, Teravision decided to pivot to a new approach: developing games within Fortnite. Within less than a year, they released three games using Unreal Engine for Fortnite (UEFN), and today, they launch their fourth game, Courtyard King, leveraging the official The Walking Dead content pack for UEFN.

Courtyard King, developed in collaboration with Skybound, the company co-founded by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, is a King of the Hill-style multiplayer PvPvE game. Set in the iconic prison location from The Walking Dead, players battle each other and NPC zombies to control territory. The game utilizes official UEFN assets, featuring character models like Rick Grimes, Negan, and Daryl Dixon, and integrates a story and dialogue crafted with Skybound's writers.

“Instead of a multi-year project like Killer Klowns From Outer Space, these are projects we can complete in weeks or months,” Fuentes noted. He highlighted the growing trend of user-generated content (UGC) in gaming, driven by platforms like Fortnite. UGC has already seen massive success on platforms like Roblox, but professional studios like Teravision are now tapping into this space, using Fortnite’s Unreal Engine 5 tools.

“It made sense for us to experiment in this platform, given our engineering background, and it allowed us to manage some of the risk,” Fuentes said. This approach led to the creation of Havoc Hotel, a roguelike shooter set in a hotel, where players earn currency to buy stronger weapons as they progress through levels. The success of Havoc Hotel and its sequels, particularly Havoc Hotel 3, has made it one of Fortnite’s most popular games.

Teravision’s game designer, Martin Rodriguez, emphasized the ease of transitioning from Unreal Engine to UEFN. “For us, it just removes some of the work that we would’ve done otherwise and allows us to focus on making better games and exploring new creative ideas,” he said. The streamlined, drag-and-drop nature of UEFN tools helped the team to be more efficient.

However, the game design team faced unique challenges with UEFN. Creative Director LD Zambrano noted that UEFN games differ from traditional games in many ways. “In Fortnite, we found that popular experiences often revolve around context and interactions that might not translate into clear competition but are still engaging,” Zambrano explained. He likened these games to playground interactions, where players create spontaneous games that foster engagement and friendship.

Courtyard King embodies this approach as an infinite game, where matches continue indefinitely, and players can join or leave at any time, even switching teams. This dynamic creates scenarios ripe for betrayal, echoing the themes of The Walking Dead.

Fuentes sees this model as a viable future for game developers, particularly indie studios. “We can assume the risk as an indie developer in UEFN. Last year, starting a three-year project was unthinkable, but now we can do something in weeks with a smaller team,” he said. This approach not only supports an 80-person studio like Teravision but also opens up new possibilities for indie developers. “With the right ideas and creativity, execution becomes possible in weeks or months, not years. This is a dream come true for indie developers.”