Epic Says Sidekicks Are Now Scriptable NPCs for Fortnite Islands
Epic says Sidekicks can now be used as NPCs in UEFN, with Verse scripting, animation support and a July 23 publishing date for eligible islands.
By IslandAtlas
Epic announced on June 5, 2026 that Fortnite Sidekicks are now available as scriptable NPCs in Unreal Editor for Fortnite and Fortnite Creative. Epic says creators can customize how Sidekicks look, script behavior with Verse, and animate them, while players can also bring their own Sidekick into the experience. Epic news post
Publishing starts July 23
According to Epic, creators can start building immediately, but publish their islands starting July 23. Epic also says these islands will be eligible for a new creature-based Collection page and additional Discover featuring opportunities through Epic’s Picks and a Callout. Epic news post
What Epic says creators can build
- Monster battlers
- Cozy farming games
- Creature-collection RPGs
- Companion adventure islands
The update adds another creator-facing feature aimed at social or companion-style play, and it broadens the range of island genres that can use personalized NPC behavior. Epic’s support listing for the feature describes Sidekicks as NPCs in Fortnite Unreal Editor, matching the June 5 announcement. Epic support
Sources
IslandAtlas is an independent analytics site and is not affiliated with Epic Games. Coverage is editorial; see linked sources.
