Universal Orlando Resort has officially added another major video game franchise to its growing list of recognizable properties, giving fans a new reason to pay attention to Universal Studios Florida.
For months, speculation has centered on which gaming brands could eventually find a home across Universal Orlando Resort. Some of those rumors involve major permanent lands, while others have focused on shorter-term experiences. Now, one of those conversations has finally turned into something real.
A hugely popular video game is officially coming to Universal Studios Florida.
Gaming Rumors Keep Following Universal Orlando
Video games already play a major role in Universal Orlando’s future.
When Epic Universe opened in May 2025, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD became one of the park’s biggest additions. Guests could step into environments filled with Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and other Nintendo characters while experiencing attractions tied to Mario Kart and Donkey Kong.
That success has only encouraged more speculation about which gaming franchises Universal could use next.
The Legend of Zelda has repeatedly been connected to rumors involving Universal Islands of Adventure. Pokémon has also surfaced in discussions about a possible future presence at Universal Studios Florida. Sonic the Hedgehog and other gaming properties have appeared in fan conversations as well.
Universal has not officially announced any permanent Zelda, Pokémon, or Sonic projects for Orlando.
However, the company has now confirmed that a different gaming giant will soon enter Universal Studios Florida.
Fortnite is officially on the way.
A New Addition to Universal Studios Florida
Universal has revealed FORTNITEMARES as a new scare zone for Halloween Horror Nights 35.
The experience will draw inspiration from Fortnite’s Halloween-themed event and bring elements of that world to Universal Studios Florida. Instead of sending guests through a traditional haunted house, Universal will place the experience outside as part of the event’s scare zone lineup.
Guests can expect scareactors, themed environments, props, lighting, and other effects designed to make the area feel like a live-action version of Fortnite’s darker Halloween side.
Universal also teased the Storm as part of the experience, warning guests that they won’t know exactly what horrors it may bring.
The Battle Bus will be among the recognizable Fortnite elements featured inside the scare zone, giving fans of the game another familiar sight to look for.
Fortnite may not normally sit alongside traditional horror franchises, but FORTNITEMARES has given the game a long-running connection to Halloween. That makes Halloween Horror Nights a fitting place for Universal to test the franchise inside one of its parks.
Could This Lead to More Gaming Franchises?
FORTNITEMARES does not confirm any of the bigger rumors surrounding Universal Orlando.
A seasonal scare zone is very different from building a permanent themed land, and Universal has made no announcement connecting this project to Zelda, Pokémon, Sonic, or any other rumored property.
Still, its arrival adds another video game franchise to Universal Orlando Resort’s expanding lineup.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD already showed how far Universal can take gaming inside a theme park. Epic Universe devoted a major area to Nintendo, complete with interactive environments and attractions tied to some of gaming’s most famous characters.
Now, Fortnite will make its own Orlando debut at Universal Studios Florida.
That makes the speculation surrounding future gaming projects even more interesting. A Zelda land at Islands of Adventure or a Pokémon area at Universal Studios Florida would represent a far larger investment, but both remain rumors for now.
FORTNITEMARES at least gives gaming fans another reason to keep watching.
Universal Never Stops Growing
FORTNITEMARES will join an already large Halloween Horror Nights 35 lineup when the event begins at Universal Studios Florida.
Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights from August 28 through November 1, 2026. Universal says the event will include 10 haunted houses, along with scare zones and live entertainment.
Confirmed houses include Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control, Sinners, Stranger Things 5, Hellraiser, Evil Dead Burn, Cybergoria, H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular!, INVASION: Alien Abduction, and MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals.
An Ozzy Osbourne-themed house has also leaked, though Universal has not officially confirmed it.
For now, FORTNITEMARES gives HHN 35 a gaming presence unlike anything else in the announced lineup.
Whether Fortnite disappears when Halloween Horror Nights ends or eventually becomes part of something larger remains unknown. What is clear is that Universal Orlando Resort now has another major gaming franchise entering its gates.
