Epic Games is set to introduce a feature in its next major version of Unreal Engine that would allow developers to use and create skins from Fortnite across other games. This could potentially turn Epic’s vision of an interoperable metaverse into reality.

The feature, however, won't be available for some time as it's only scheduled for early access release by the end of 2027, with a full release following ‘12-18 months later’. Developers will also need to implement support in their games manually, which is not guaranteed.

This move comes at a time when Fortnite is facing challenges, with significant layoffs due to decreased engagement. Epic is trying to diversify its offerings through collaborations and changes in gameplay, but the success of this new feature remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, Epic has faced backlash over its use of generative AI for game asset creation, with one developer reviewing a planned collaboration due to concerns about how the technology might be used.