The gaming industry has faced significant challenges with layoffs, studio closures, and dwindling funding. Enrique Fuentes, CEO and co-founder of Teravision Games, felt these pressures firsthand after launching Killer Klowns From Outer Space, an asymmetrical horror game inspired by the 1980s film. Despite positive reviews—IGN awarded it a 7, praising its “silly and entertaining” vibe—and trailers amassing hundreds of thousands of views, the studio struggled to secure its next project.

“2024 was a tough year for the industry, slowing our ability to land new projects,” Fuentes explains. Even with a history of collaborating with giants like Disney, Nickelodeon, and Xbox, Teravision faced hurdles finding a follow-up to Killer Klowns. With time running short, the studio, backed by 20 years of expertise, pivoted to a bold new venture: developing games within Fortnite. In under a year, Teravision has released three Unreal Engine for Fortnite (UEFN) titles, with its fourth, launching today, leveraging The Walking Dead content pack in UEFN.

In collaboration with Skybound, co-founded by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Teravision’s latest UEFN game, Courtyard King, is a multiplayer PvPvE experience in a King of the Hill style, set in The Walking Dead’s iconic prison. Players battle each other and NPC zombies to control territory.

Courtyard King uses official UEFN assets, including character models of Rick Grimes, Negan, and Daryl Dixon. Beyond assets, Teravision partnered with Skybound’s writers to shape the game’s narrative and dialogue.

“Unlike multi-year projects like Killer Klowns, these are initiatives we can complete in weeks or months,” Fuentes notes.

“We’ve worked with major brands before, but UEFN was an experiment. We never expected it to lead to a partnership with Skybound,” Fuentes adds. “User-generated content (UGC) is a massive trend in gaming right now.”

UGC is fueling a major shift in gaming, popularized by platforms like Fortnite and Roblox. While UGC typically refers to player-created content, professional studios like Teravision are now tapping into it. Fortnite’s Unreal Engine 5-based tools were a natural fit for the studio’s experienced developers.

“Our engineering background made UEFN a low-risk platform for experimentation,” Fuentes explains. “Instead of multi-year commitments, we can build projects in weeks or months.”

Teravision’s experiments led to Havoc Hotel, a roguelike shooter where players battle through hotel levels, earning currency for better weapons with each cleared floor. The first Havoc Hotel gained traction, paving the way for Havoc Hotel 3, now a consistently popular Fortnite title.

Martin Rodriguez, Teravision’s game designer, notes that transitioning from Killer Klowns, built in Unreal Engine, to UEFN—a modified Unreal Engine 5—was seamless. “UEFN’s streamlined systems and drag-and-drop features let us focus on crafting better games and exploring creative ideas,” Rodriguez says.

While UEFN’s tools were easy for engineers to adopt, the game design team faced unique challenges. Unlike traditional games, UEFN projects like Havoc Hotel started as experiments but evolved into distinct experiences. LD Zambrano, Teravision’s creative director, highlights the differences.

“In traditional game design, objectives drive cooperation and competition,” Zambrano says. “In UEFN, we’ve found popular Fortnite experiences often thrive on context—unique, playful interactions that don’t always center on clear competition but still engage players.”

Zambrano likens UEFN games to a schoolyard. “It’s like recess, where you invent games with friends that don’t always make sense but foster connection. That’s the context these games create.”

Courtyard King stands out as an infinite game, with no definitive winner. Matches run continuously, allowing players to join, leave, or switch teams at will, creating dynamic scenarios like betrayals that echo The Walking Dead’s themes.

“Players can jump in or out and even switch teams mid-match, sparking betrayals that feel very Walking Dead,” Fuentes says.

Is this the future for game developers? While it places studios in the ecosystems of giants like Epic Games, it offers access to massive audiences and major IPs like The Walking Dead. Fuentes sees significant potential.

“UEFN lets indie developers like us take risks. Last year, a three-year project was unthinkable. Now, we can create in weeks with a small team, sustaining an 80-person studio,” Fuentes says. “With the right ideas and market understanding, execution is achievable in weeks, not years—a game-changer for indie studios.”