Which networking framework will be used in Unity games in Fortnite?

[neon basin]

https://x.com/willgoldstone/status/1991111159311671703
Are there any more details for us to start learning asap? Is this approach used in any other available framework, is it based on netcode? I'm looking for any hints to prepare for the release.

Will Goldstone (@willgoldstone)

@RynexGD @MBromberg It’s using a networking approach we developed the past few years for other purposes, it won’t be a traditional build like you’d upload to a store. More news and details will come next year, lots of work to do!

X · Nov 19, 2025, 11:47 AM

Another mention: https://x.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1991074081009963053

Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic)

Just announced at Unity’s Unite 2025 show in Barcelona: Unity has built an amazing new networking protocol enabling Unity games to come into Fortnite next year. This will enable an incredible variety of games to reach a new audience in new ways!

X · Nov 19, 2025, 9:20 AM

[ruby creek]

I'm still going through the keynote but I believe this is just regarding deployment. So you won't be uploading an exe to Epic/Fortnite

[atomic viper]

Yeah, my take on the tweets you sent is the same. It’s not a networking protocol concerning development inside the Unity game. It’s to enable some sort of direct upload of your game to Fortnite instead of building and uploading to a traditional store.

[ruby creek]

I imagine it will be some kind of webgl/webgpu deployment. Similar to how they publish the Unity Studio/Unity Play stuff.

[neon basin]

Fortnite is very strict currently with how UEFN works, for example external API calls are impossible, all player data is anonymous (can't even read player name from code). I guess Unity will have some kind of tools (from Epic or Unity?) or very strict guidelines.

[ruby creek]

I don't think it will be in UEFN

My understanding is that its just using Fortnite as a launcher

[neon basin]

Ye it won't be UEFN but I'm just comparing, Unity games will have to be restricted too somehow. Epic is very careful with laws after losing a lot of money in the past.

I wonder what they will do with skins, that's the main way of them making money and sharing it with creators. Either it won't be shared with Unity games or somehow skins will be interoperable (that weird word they keep using when taking about metaverse) between engines.