First, I want to say I acknowledge that everyone has a different perspective and, thus, different needs. Epic is in an impossible position trying to balance fairness, sustainability, and engagement across a wildly diverse creator ecosystem. UEFN includes legacy Fortnite creators, indie developers, studios, brands, and influencers, all with different needs and expectations. The challenge has always been making sure the system remains fair.
Epic has worked hard to create an ecosystem where everyone, regardless of resources, has a shot. But fairness is an incredibly difficult thing to maintain, and in trying to make it work, good creators have been forced to sacrifice too much while bad actors have flourished with little intervention. Instead of limiting growth due to fear of exploitation, we need to create a system that rewards real innovation while taking stronger action against those who exploit it.
I appreciate you all taking the time to address some community questions, here are 4 questions I have:
1. The Transparency & Fairness Reality Check
Epic has worked hard to create a ‘fair’ system where every creator has an opportunity, but fairness often results in rewarding mass engagement farms over real innovation. Experienced developers with years of investment in UEFN are treated the same as new creators, forcing us to ‘shoot in the dark’ with every update.
Why does Epic believe fairness is achievable when no successful industry operates this way? And if fairness is the priority, how does Epic plan to ensure that long-term, high-quality developers aren’t buried under engagement-driven content?
2. The “New & Updated” Algorithm Black Box
UEFN developers spend real time and resources updating and improving games, but we have no clear understanding of what qualifies for ‘New and Updated’ or any row or how Discovery actually registers updates.
How can Epic expect creators to invest in their games when there is no transparency on whether that investment will lead to any visibility? Are there plans to provide developers with concrete guidelines on what qualifies an update for renewed Discovery exposure?
3. The Monetization Sustainability Question
Engagement based payouts favor infinite loop content over high-effort, curated experiences. Right now, UEFN has no sustainable monetization beyond playtime, while Epic’s own games (Battle Royale) benefit from prime visability, quests, skins, item shop promotions, and built-in retention mechanics.
Does Epic acknowledge that engagement payoutalone is not a viable long-term model for serious studios and developers? And if so, are there plans to introduce additional monetization pathways such as creator cosmetics, premium maps, or revenue-sharing beyond engagement time?
4. The “Bad Actors vs. Good Creators” Problem
Every system will have bad actors, and exploiters will always find ways to game Discovery. But right now, Epic’s fear of exploiters is restricting the good creators far more than it is stopping the bad ones.
How does Epic justify limiting transparency, marketing, and monetization for all developers when bad actors continue to exploit the system anyway? Is there a plan to shift the focus toward rewarding high-quality, high-investment content rather than just preventing potential abuse?
Thank you for your time and for any responses!
MackJack