Fortnite is making use of Epic Games’ Houseparty acquisition to bring video chats to the popular battle royale title from Epic Games. In June last year, Epic Games acquired group video chat app Houseparty and it has finally been integrated into the studio’s most popular game over a year later. Starting today, Houseparty will now allow Fortnite gamers connect with friends and family members via video chat while chasing down a coveted ‘Victory Royale’ in the game. It should be noted that the Houseparty app needs to be installed on a smartphone or tablet for the feature to work.
Epic Games announced in a blog post that the Houseparty video chat feature can only be accessed by Fortnite players on PC, PlayStation 5, or PlayStation 4. There’s no news yet if and when the feature will be made available to more platforms as well.
For the feature to work, your smartphone or tablet needs to have the Houseparty app installed. The Android or iOS device is essentially converted into a webcam to be used during the video chat. When a chat is enabled, you can see the faces of your friends on the screen and continue chatting with them while you play Fortnite.
Of course, your Epic and Houseparty accounts need to be linked for the feature to work. As an incentive for linking the two accounts, you will unlock a special Rainbow Fog Wrap to customise your weapon or vehicle. For gamers on platforms other than PC or PlayStation, Epic is also giving away a free Rainbow Fog Wrap. All you need to do is play five matches with your friends between November 20 and November 26. A free Wrap will be delivered to your account by December 4, Epic announced in the blog post.
In an interesting feature, when a video chat is on, the video feed of you and your friends will be cropped around the face, with a colourful background that matches the bright palette Fortnite is famous for.
How to set up video chat on Fortnite
Follow these simple steps to quickly set up or join a video chat session:
- Open Houseparty app on your device.
- Connect to Fortnite through the Settings or TV icon.
- Invite friends to join you, or join them in a call.
- Launch Fortnite on PC or your PlayStation console.
- Chat with your friends while you play while seeing them on screen.
For security, Houseparty video chat service is restricted to players over the age of 13. Only your Houseparty friends can join in on a video chat. Gamers will also have the option to block people or limit the number of participants on call.
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