Fortnite players could see stability improvements as Epic Games embraces AI

Fortnite players could soon see improved stability and performance as Epic Games uses AI to tackle long-standing Unreal Engine bugs. It's potentially good news for the free-to-play battle royale, especially for those experiencing PC crashes and performance issues.

The use of AI is always a hot topic of discussion, with potential benefits across all kinds of industries. In video games, it could help developers fix coding issues, improve animations and make games run better.

There are understandable concerns that AI could eventually take our jobs, much like kiosks have replaced some cashiers. Worse still, take over the world! Okay, perhaps I've watched too much of James Cameron's The Terminator, but you get the point. Yet, Epic Games appears to have found a practical use for AI, particularly when it comes to improving Fortnite.

How Epic Games is using AI to improve Fortnite's stability

As reported by Game Developer, Epic Games is using AI for several reasons, including identifying and fixing technical problems that may have existed for years.

On PC, AI tools are being used to automatically monitor Fortnite's stability and alert developers to hardware and driver combinations causing problems. This can help Epic identify issues that may otherwise have taken considerably more time to track down manually.

Epic is also using AI tools to help develop code and new features for Unreal Engine, with the technology helping developers tackle long-standing bugs that have proved difficult to fix.

Why Fortnite's PC stability needs improving

No matter how fun a game is or how well it's been developed, nothing is safe from unforeseen post-launch technical issues, and Fortnite is no exception. PC players can encounter crashes that kick them back to the desktop, potentially costing them a match.

Furthermore, no matter how powerful your gaming PC is or how much money you've spent upgrading it, hardware compatibility issues can still occur, especially with so many different configurations. There can also be complications with graphics drivers, alongside stuttering and inconsistent frame rates.

Could AI make Fortnite more stable on consoles?

Yes, AI could eventually help improve the Fortnite experience on consoles, although Epic hasn't confirmed plans to introduce the same PC monitoring tools on PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch. Improvements to Unreal Engine could potentially benefit console players too, but that's not guaranteed.

AI could also help developers identify problems earlier and more efficiently, particularly with Fortnite receiving regular seasonal updates that introduce new modes and features. It's also entirely possible that, as these tools advance, their benefits could extend to other games developed using Unreal Engine.

If used responsibly, and without taking jobs away from talented and passionate developers, AI can be hugely beneficial to the video game industry. It should be there to support the people making our favourite games, not replace them.

Epic Games' approach with Fortnite could be a good example of how the technology can be used to tackle problems and improve games. However, it needs to be respected, just as we humans do.