Fortnite is a popular game with a devoted fan base, but it will evolve into a vast game ecosystem that spans all games and brands.
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, Inc., said in a keynote at Unreal Fest Seoul 2026 at the Westin Josun Seoul in Samseong-dong on the 20th, "The most common concern we hear from game developers is that Roblox will dominate the global game industry," adding that Epic will build Fortnite into a counterweight to Roblox.
U.S. game company Epic Games, Inc. is the maker of the global hit Fortnite and provides tools and software engines needed for game development. Epic Games, Inc.'s Unreal Engine and Unity's Unity engine split the global game engine market. At the annual developer event Unreal Fest Seoul, Epic Games, Inc. introduced its latest technologies and future strategy.
Sweeney said the influence of giant game platforms represented by Roblox is growing. He said, "Roblox is a game platform with 400 million monthly users, including almost all children who play games," and noted, "If all young gamers flow into Roblox and only Roblox keeps growing, we could lose the future user base."
The rise of Roblox, known as a "children's president" game, is one of the big shifts shaking up the game industry alongside the spread of artificial intelligence (AI). Sweeney said, "The new generation, unlike the previous generation, does not buy individual games but enjoys games and communicates with friends within a game ecosystem," assessing that as game platforms like Roblox strengthen the user lock-in effect, small new releases without a solid user base are finding less room to survive.
Keeping pace with the trend of games reorganizing around ecosystems, Epic Games, Inc. said it will grow Fortnite beyond a single game into an open ecosystem where users can enjoy a wide variety of games. The ultimate goal is to support every genre and scale, from games made by solo developers to AAA blockbusters built by thousands of developers, and to blur the line between games and platforms.
Sweeney said, "Our solution is to connect all games into a single ecosystem," adding, "We will gather the best games made by the best developers in one place to offer a better alternative than Roblox."
Fortnite, the battle royale game Epic Games, Inc. launched in 2017, has grown into a game platform with a variety of game types and 76 million monthly active users (MAU). Fortnite is a closed ecosystem for now, but Epic Games, Inc. plans to transition it into a 100% open ecosystem.
As part of this open game ecosystem strategy, Epic Games, Inc. is preparing the next-generation Unreal Engine 6 for release between late next year and 2027. Sweeney said, "Unreal Engine 6 will significantly improve the game development process," adding, "The basic idea is to develop the game once and deploy it in real time to all console and mobile stores and platforms."
Epic Games, Inc. is advancing Unreal Engine to support AI-based game development. Sweeney said, "We are working with AI model developers so tools like Anthropic's Claude Code, OpenAI's Codex, and Cursor can interact with Unreal Engine as efficiently as possible," adding, "Developers will be able to write code and create content much faster than before."
At a press briefing that followed, Sweeney sharply criticized Apple's in-app payment policy. He said, "In Korea, consumers buy items from Korean game companies and Korean payment processors handle the transactions, so Apple adds virtually no value in the process," adding, "I don't see why Apple should take 26% in fees; it should converge to 0%." He also noted that while users can download competing app markets on Japan's iOS, in Korea the installation of competing app markets is blocked, saying, "This discriminates against the Korean market."
Epic Games, Inc. last year won a ruling in the United States that forcing in-app payments amounts to an antitrust violation. Sweeney said, "We reached amicable settlements with Google and Samsung, but we are still in legal battles with Apple," adding, "For developers' freedom, we will not stop fighting Apple until we win."
Sweeney also shared results in the Korean market. He said, "The time Korean users spent playing games on the Epic Games, Inc. Store last year rose 26% from a year earlier, and game spending jumped 12 times," adding, "As a result, Korea rose from 16th in the world by spending on the Epic Games, Inc. Store to third, behind the United States and China." Given that global user spending on the Epic Games, Inc. Store last year was $1.16 billion, up 6% from a year earlier, Korea's growth stood out.
He added, "The global game industry is in a period of upheaval where confusion and change coexist, but Korea's game industry is seeing growth in both revenue and global market share," and said, "In addition to mobile and PC, it is now delivering results in the console market."
He cited examples of Korean game companies using Unreal Engine to develop original intellectual property (IP), including SHIFT UP's Stella Blade: Bloodrain, Nexon's Vindictus: Defying Fate, and NC's Cinders City. He also noted growing attention to games that draw on traditional Korean culture and mythology, such as Wemade Max's Project TAL and Nexon's Uchi the Wayfarer.