Brands show up in Fortnite in two ways. Collab skins are Epic's own licensing deals, sold in its Item Shop. A brand island is a playable map a brand builds or commissions in Fortnite Creative or UEFN and publishes under Epic's developer rules. This guide covers how islands are published, found and policed, who builds them, and eight examples.
Our library holds 17 Fortnite islands made for brands between 2021 and 2026. We picked eight with results we could trace to a source or an unusual use of the platform. Most figures are self-reported by agencies.
Skins, collabs or islands: what does a brand actually buy?
Search for brands in Fortnite and you mostly get lists of collab skins. Those are Epic's products, and the rules keep it that way: an island may not sell outfits, emotes or cars (Fortnite Developer Rules, rule 4.4.6). Big campaigns often combine skins with an island. In May 2021 Epic unveiled outfits for all 30 NBA teams and put player bundles in the Item Shop (NBA), while Atlas Creative built an NBA Welcome Hub island (Atlas Creative).
Epic's own glossary uses "brand island" more narrowly, for islands built with assets from its IP partners such as LEGO and Squid Game (Epic). An island a brand builds or controls for itself is owned commercial content, which needs no paid-partnership label (rule 4.3.2). How an owned island compares with bought ad space is covered in our in-game advertising vs advergames guide.
How do brand islands get published and found?
Publishing. According to Epic's documentation (read on 12 October 2026), islands are built in Fortnite Creative or Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) and released through the Creator Portal (Epic). Only members of the Fortnite Developer Program can publish, and they must be 18 or over (Epic). Each island needs an IARC age rating (Epic) and passes moderation of its listing, then its gameplay (Epic).
Discovery. Players find islands in the Discover tab, through search or by typing an island code. Epic tests each new island in Discover for up to two weeks and ranks it mainly on engagement; weak islands lose reach but stay playable by code (How Discover Works).
- 1Build the islandIn Fortnite Creative or Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN)
- 2Join the Developer ProgramOnly members can publish, and they must be 18 or over
- 3Submit in the Creator PortalEach island needs an IARC age rating
- 4Pass moderationEpic checks the listing, then the gameplay, before the island goes live
- 5Get foundThrough Discover, search or the island code; Discover tests new islands for up to two weeks and ranks them mainly on engagement
Paid reach. The Sponsored Row in Discover is sold by auction per thousand impressions and shown only to logged-in players aged 18 and over (Epic). It is closed to financial products such as banking and credit, to quick-service restaurants and to foods or drinks high in salt, sugar or fat (rules 5.4 and 5.7).
Which Epic rules shape a brand island?
Brands follow the same Fortnite Developer Rules as any developer. In the version of 29 April 2026, read on 12 October 2026, these clauses shape most briefs:
- No prize promotions inside the island. Contests and sweepstakes, from entry to prizes, must run entirely outside it (rule 3.4.1).
- No links or data capture. No URLs, QR codes or requests for personal information (rules 1.2 and 1.12).
- No ad copy. No calls to action outside Fortnite, product claims, offer dates or prices (rule 4.3.5).
- Restricted categories. No promotion of alcohol, tobacco, medical products, supplements or deceptive financial products (rule 4.3.6).
- Age. Epic does not accept islands made primarily for children under 13, and no promotion may target them (rules 1.15 and 3.2.7).
- No games of chance. Raffles and casino-style games are banned even without money (rule 1.11).
- Promotion. Promotional material must carry the line "This is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Epic Games, Inc." (rule 3.1.5), and TV or ad-network campaigns need Epic's prior consent (rule 3.2.2).
Eight Fortnite brand islands, 2021 to 2025
5G Stadium — Verizon (2021)
Agency: R/GA, Momentum Worldwide; built by Beyond Creative · Mechanic: Arcade & Action · Platform: In-game
With Super Bowl LV under pandemic crowd limits, Verizon rebuilt Tampa's Raymond James Stadium in Fortnite. Players toured locker rooms and a pitch with a pirate ship over midfield, then warped into stadium copies for mini-games such as a hoverboard race. NFL players joined Twitch livestreams on 2 and 5 February 2021; Verizon's release credits the build to Beyond Creative (Verizon).
Result: More than 40 million visitors and 3.4 million live-stream views, according to Momentum (The Drum). The island is now offline.
Play The Frame — Unofficial (2022)
Agency: AKQA · Mechanic: Puzzle · Platform: In-game
Unofficial launched Fortnite-branded eyewear, a licence brokered by IMG (Licensing International), by sending sealed crates to streamers in the UK, France and Germany. Each crate opened only when the streamer's community cracked an identical supply drop on the brand's map. Then the map went public, with an obstacle course of giant frames and a maze.
Result: 1.6 million fans watched the livestreams, and players spent more than 2,000 hours on the map at an average of 35 minutes, according to AKQA (AKQA).
NFL Zone — NFL (2022)
Agency: Beyond Creative · Mechanic: Mini-Games · Platform: In-game
The NFL built a place to come back to. Players typed a code to reach a virtual tailgate and a stadium presented by Visa, then took portals to team maps, starting with the San Francisco 49ers. An NFC-versus-AFC contest ran across the maps on a scoreboard, building to a playoff (NFL). Beyond Creative lists it as a December 2022 launch (Beyond Creative). We found no published results.
Hypnopolis — BMW (2023)
Agency: Jung von Matt/next · Mechanic: Mini-Games · Platform: In-game
BMW opened Hypnopolis on 4 October 2023, a week before the iX2's communication launch, with the car still in prototype disguise (BMW Group). Players help Julia, an in-game electromechanic, through challenges in a future city built around BMW Welt, then unlock what BMW calls the first Car Creator in Fortnite and design their iX2. The frame above carries the disclaimer line Epic requires.
Result: 100,000 visits in the launch window and an average playtime of 30 minutes, according to Jung von Matt (Jung von Matt).
Marriott Bonvoy Land — Marriott (2023)
Agency: Razorfish · Mechanic: Adventure & Quest · Platform: In-game
Marriott wanted travellers aged 18 to 34 to see how its hotel brands fit under the Bonvoy loyalty programme. Players start in a park ringed by four hotels, each lobby opening a game: prop hunt for Moxy, an obstacle course for Westin, a clue maze for W Hotels and a key hunt for Autograph Collection.
Result: Lifts of 14% in brand consideration, 13% in digital ad awareness and 6% in portfolio affiliation, plus 27 million views of creators' gameplay, according to Razorfish (Razorfish).
Sky City — Sky Broadband (2024)
Agency: Whalar Group (Umi Games) · Mechanic: Simulation & Strategy · Platform: In-game
Sky wanted UK gamers to feel its broadband speed. Players fight across three skyscraper rooftops above the clouds, moving by speed rails, zip lines and launch pads; the central Sky Tower gives a timed boost. Players arrived through Guild Esports' creator tournament and a 72-hour portal from TheBoyDilly's map (Shorty Awards).
Result: The award entry reports more than 200,000 plays, a 23-minute average playtime and eight days in Epic's Picks, the editors' row in Discover; brand tracking found awareness up 2.5% and association between Sky and gaming up 2.6% (The Drum).
Lewisham X Fortnite — Landsec (2024)
Agency: Preloaded · Mechanic: Racing & Sports · Platform: In-game
Landsec U+I used Fortnite in a public consultation, to help teenagers and young families grasp its Lewisham town centre masterplan. Teams skydive from a blimp onto the proposed streets and race the clock to collect balloons along grind rails, air jets and jumps, crossing the whole site at speed (Preloaded). Matches ran in the shopping centre, including a May 2024 session showing updated plans (Studio Egret West). We found no published results.
Body Royale — Philips (2025)
Agency: The Gang; The Drum's award entry credits Ketchum UK and Fuse · Mechanic: Arcade & Action · Platform: In-game
Only 11% of men aged 18 to 30 in Western Europe used OneBlade. Philips answered with a battle royale on a giant hairy body, fought with a weapon modelled on the razor: cutting hair restores health, hairball enemies roam, and the last player standing wins (The Gang). It launched at TwitchCon Europe in Rotterdam in June 2025.
Result: The award entry reports 55,000 hours of gameplay in 2025, awareness of 81% against a 74% target and sales among men aged 18 to 30 up 28% year on year (The Drum).
Employers use islands too: Carrefour's 2026 careers island by Publicis Conseil is covered in our recruitment games guide.
The eight at a glance
| Game | Brand | Year | What it did | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5G Stadium | Verizon | 2021 | Super Bowl stadium | 40M+ visitors, 3.4M stream views (agency) |
| Play The Frame | Unofficial | 2022 | Eyewear launch via streamers | 1.6M stream viewers (agency) |
| NFL Zone | NFL | 2022 | Persistent fan hub | None found |
| Hypnopolis | BMW | 2023 | iX2 preview, Car Creator | 100,000 visits, 30-minute average (agency) |
| Marriott Bonvoy Land | Marriott | 2023 | Hotel brands as mini-games | +14% brand consideration (agency) |
| Sky City | Sky Broadband | 2024 | Battles on speed rails | 200,000+ plays, +2.5% awareness (award entry) |
| Lewisham X Fortnite | Landsec | 2024 | Consultation as a race | None found |
| Body Royale | Philips | 2025 | Shaving as healing | 81% awareness, sales +28% (men 18 to 30; award entry) |
Which agencies build Fortnite islands for brands?
Credit is often split. For Verizon, R/GA and Momentum ran the campaign and Beyond Creative built the stadium; for Philips, The Drum's award entry credits Ketchum UK and Fuse, while The Gang says it built the map (The Gang). Elsewhere one agency carries the case: AKQA for Unofficial, Razorfish for Marriott, Jung von Matt/next for BMW. Game studios are also credited on their own: Beyond Creative for the NFL, Atlas Creative for the NBA, Preloaded for Landsec and LEGO, Dubit for UEFA (Dubit).
When hiring a Fortnite agency, ask who builds the island and who brings players in during the first two weeks. More studios are on our agencies page.
What the strongest examples have in common
The product is the mechanic. In Body Royale you heal by shaving; in Sky City speed is how you move and fight; in Hypnopolis the reward is designing the car.
They bring their own players. NFL players on Twitch, streamers opening crates, a creator tournament, TwitchCon. Discover tests new islands for up to two weeks and ranks them on engagement, so launch traffic shapes the reach that follows.
Players stay. BMW, Unofficial and Sky report average playtimes of 30, 35 and 23 minutes, and Discover weighs playtime and retention.
They measure brand effect. Marriott, Sky and Philips reported brand tracking; Philips set targets first.
When a Fortnite island is the wrong tool
- The campaign is a prize draw or needs sign-ups. Prize promotions, links and data capture can't live in an island. An instant win or quiz on your own site does that job; see web games.
- The audience is under 13. Epic doesn't accept islands made mainly for that age group. Check this first if your brief resembles LEGO's Smoothie Odyssey, which Preloaded designed for children aged 10 to 12 (Preloaded).
- The category is restricted. Alcohol and supplements can't be promoted; fast-food and banking brands can't buy the Sponsored Row.
- There is no budget for launch traffic. An island without early players loses Discover reach.
Roblox, the usual comparison, handles paid reach differently: as of May 2024 brands could buy portal, image and video ads from the platform itself, served only to users aged 13 and over (Roblox). Our brands on Roblox guide covers that route.
FAQ
Do Fortnite island creators get paid?
Yes, if they qualify for and enrol in Epic's engagement payouts. Epic puts 40% of eligible net revenue from the Item Shop and related real-money purchases into a pool and splits it monthly by active playtime, retention, playtime around Item Shop spending and new or returning players brought in. Payouts arrive 30 days after the month ends, and developers must be 18 or over (Epic). For brands it is a side income at most; the campaigns above report brand results, not payouts.
What company is Fortnite under, and does it approve brand islands?
Fortnite is made by Epic Games. Brand islands are built by brands and their studios, but each passes through Epic's systems: publishing runs through the Fortnite Developer Program, the island needs an IARC age rating, and every submission is moderated before it goes live. Promotional material must carry a line saying the island is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by Epic (Fortnite Developer Rules); BMW's press release for Hypnopolis carried a similar disclaimer.
How do players find and access a brand's island?
Through the Discover tab, search, or an island code typed into Fortnite. Campaigns print the code: BMW put Hypnopolis's in its press release, and NFL.com listed codes for the NFL Zone hub and its first team map. Discover tests new islands for up to two weeks and ranks them on engagement (Epic), so campaigns use creator streams for launch traffic. The paid Sponsored Row is shown only to logged-in players aged 18 and over (Epic).
Is a Fortnite collab skin the same as a brand island?
No. Epic sells skins, emotes and other cosmetics in the Item Shop, and islands may not sell outfits or emotes. A brand island is a playable map the brand builds or commissions. Campaigns often combine the two: outfits for all 30 NBA teams arrived alongside the league's Welcome Hub island, and Nike paired Airphoria with an Item Shop pack in June 2023 (Nike).
Every brand island in our library is in the Fortnite collection. More branded worlds are in the in-game worlds collection; if your studio has shipped a Fortnite island for a brand, send it to us.