Epic: 'Minecraft Was An Inspiration' For Fortnite

Having revealed its next upcoming title Fortnite yesterday, Epic Games said that indie phenomenon Minecraft was an inspiration for the concept. The latest game from the Gears of War studio will see players building strongholds to defend themselves against nasty creatures that come out at night -- a concept that shares similarities with the aforementioned behemoth Mojang title. Lee Perry, lead designer at Epic Games, confirmed via Twitter that the team is indeed taking inspiration from Minecraft. "I see lots of questions asking if Fortnite is freeform construction. It is. It's not scripted or just boarding up existing structures," explained Perry. When asked if the game will play like Minecraft, Perry replied, "Minecraft was an inspiration for sure." However, he noted that there will be differences. "Minecraft let's you build anything," he explained. "We are focusing on constructing 'buildings' specifically." Regarding Minecraft developer Markus 'Notch' Persson, Perry added, "I thank him every day."