Fortnite using Unreal Engine 4

Epic Games' Fortnite will be the first game to use the Unreal Engine 4, the publisher confirmed during its San Diego Comic-Con panel today. The game was also confirmed to be a PC-exclusive title and given a 2013 release window.

Originally revealed in December, Fortnite is described as a cooperative "sandbox survival game," with gameplay divided into two main sections: day and night. During the day, players will work together to build fortifications using whatever materials can be scavenged and scrounged. Once night falls, they will retreat into their forts as they hope to fend off waves of monsters and survive until morning.

[UPDATE] After the publication of this story, Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski tweeted that Fortnite may not always be a PC exclusive.

"To be clear--Fortnite is PC primary and first, but we wouldn't rule out the possibility of other platforms later," he said.

As for advancements of the Unreal Engine 4 over its predecessors, the new framework includes tools intended to shorten production cycles and lower development costs. In terms of technical specifics, the new engine includes a new dynamic lighting system, which operates based on calculations of objects' inherent properties, as opposed to being dictated by preprogrammed effects. This technology will supposedly allow for more realistic lighting, where colors mix, translucent materials glow, and objects viewed through water refract.

Check back with GameSpot soon for more on Fortnite, and more from Comic-Con.