Last year during Summer Game Fest, gamers received a first look at the future of video game graphics. This glimpse into the future was provided throughthe reveal of Unreal Engine 5, the newest version of the game engine developed by Epic Games. The tech demo shown during the Summer Game Fest introduced a couple of new technologies such as the Lumen lighting system and the Nanite technology used for creating complex polygonal objects. To show off these new technologies, the creators of the project decided to create a short narrative focused on a female protagonist. Due to the popularity of the character, the developers at Epic Games have decided to bring the character toFortnite.
In a recent tweet,Fortniteannounced that the protagonist from the Unreal Engine 5 tech demo is available now in the Item Shop. It seems fitting that the mascot of Unreal Engine 5 should join the game asFortnitecurrently runs on the previous version of the game engine, Unreal Engine 4. Beyond coming to the battle royale, gamers finally know the name of the character. According to Epic Games, she is called Windwalker Echo. While the character looks less detailed than in the Unreal Engine 5 tech demo, she still comes with the same memorable outfit.
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In addition to coming toFortnite, Windwalker Echo is featured in a new animated video calledSlay. Created using Unreal Engine, the video made by Mold3D Studio showcases Echo as she fights a threatening enemy guarding a glowing object. The impressive project reveals how the engine can be used to create high-level animation. While the complete version of Unreal Engine 5 doesn’t launch until 2022, many developers like Mold3D Studio are already working with the new engine as part of Early Access. A few months ago,The Coalition unveiled a video calledAlpha Pointshowing the impressive capabilities of the engine.
As Echo prepares to joinFortnite, a number of other new skins have been added to the game recently. Last week, Epic Games revealed thatthe Shang-Chi outfitwas added to the game. This new skin was meant to help celebrate the premiere ofShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. In addition to the new character outfit, Epic Games released the Great Protector’s Shield Back Bling, Blades of the Brother Hand Pickaxes, and Dragon’s Scale Wrap based on the movie as well.
As Windwalker Echo continues to appear in new media such as inFortniteand in more Unreal Engine projects, it seems increasingly possible that the character might eventually be featured in a full-length game. While time will tell if this happens, the future of gaming looks exciting as a number of newgames are being created with Unreal Engine 5.
Fortniteis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
