Fortnite is rolling out a full Star Wars experience this May, featuring three entirely new islands built by creators using assets that Epic Games unlocked for the community earlier this year. The collaboration between Epic, Disney, and Lucasfilm arrives just ahead of Star Wars Day on May 4th.
The three islands showcase wildly different takes on the galaxy far, far away. JOGO Studios built Star Wars: Galactic Siege, a 10v10 class-based capture the flag game that plays like a full-scale multiplayer title. The project will expand later with a dedicated Mandalorian and Grogu map. Over in Star Wars: Droid Tycoon, players construct droids from more than 40 in-game blueprints based on actual Star Wars schematics. FOAD developed that experience. The third island, Escape Vader from Beyond Creative, goes for pure co-op survival: four players hunted across a crashed Star Destroyer while trying to evade the Dark Lord himself.
In March, Epic handed over Star Wars intellectual property assets to all Fortnite creators, unlocking the ability to build custom experiences within the platform. Adam Sussman, President of Epic Games, framed the move as a major shift. "After years of creating Star Wars experiences with Disney and Lucasfilm, we gave Star Wars' heroes, worlds and assets to Fortnite creators so they could build the experiences they've always dreamed of playing," he said. "It's now possible to create a limitless variety of games in the Star Wars universe that anyone in Fortnite can play."
Disney and Lucasfilm are treating the collaboration as more than just cosmetics and battle pass items. Sean Shoptaw, Executive Vice President of Disney Games and Digital Entertainment, emphasized the studio's broader vision for interactive storytelling. "Interactive entertainment is rapidly becoming one of the defining forces in how audiences experience stories, and Disney is fully embracing that evolution," he said. "Games offer a uniquely powerful way to deepen engagement, expand our worlds, and connect with fans in real time."
The islands also serve as promotional vehicles for upcoming Star Wars content. A new Mandalorian and Grogu Watch Party Island launches May 19 with a 10-minute exclusive scene from the film arriving May 22. Director Jon Favreau will host a live Q&A on the island on May 26.
Author Emily Chen: "This feels like the moment when licensed gaming stops being about skin packs and starts being about real creative freedom for builders, not just massive studios."
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