Fortnite Creative v18.20 Update: New Character Device and Signal Remote and Manager device

Posted by Twigsby on 10/12/2021

The v18.20 update is bringing the new Character Device, Signal Remote Manage device, additional device updates, and bug fixes! 

Character Device

The new Character Device is here and brings some amazing new functionality for creators to explore. The Character device is a mannequin that creators can use to display NPCs on your island. NPCs will be configurable in a variety of ways including setting their customization, choosing their pose and performing emotes on command. Additionally, players can use it as an interactable NPC in their game, having players interact with it to transmit signals.

Read more details on the Character Device in the Device Updates section below and on the Fortnite Creative Documentation website.

Signal Remote and Manager Device

The new Signal Remote and Manager device allows Creators to link a remote control item to up to two transmitters each, which are then activated by players in-game via the remote. For example, a player activates their remote to send a signal on a channel that teleports them back to their base area.

Read more details on the Signal Remote and Manager Device in the Device Updates section below and on the Fortnite Creative Documentation website.

Switch Device

The Switch Device is a button that can be toggled between On and Off states, allowing players to turn things on and off through a single device. It can save state either for everyone at once or individual players, and can be saved/loaded across different sessions.

Read more details on the Switch Device in the Device Updates section below and on the Fortnite Creative Documentation website.

Battle Royale Items 

We’ve added the following Battle Royale items to Creative

  • Chili Chug Splash
  • Chug Splash (Unvault)
  • Shadow Flopper
  • Added Armored Wall context trap

Device Updates

Character Device

Place a Character, choose an outfit for it then select the pose you want. This can be used to place NPCs, display outfits, or create vignettes. Includes options for:

  • Character - Define what Character you want to show for the device. Select from a wide variety of outfits from Jonsey and Ramirez all the way up to Fennix and Night Witch.
  • Pose - Set a pose that the character will be placed in.
  • Emote - Set an emote for the character to play. This will then be activated when the Character receives a signal on the Play Emote When Receiving From channel.
  • Interact Type - Allow players to interact directly with your Character

Switch Device

The switch device is a button that can be toggled on and off, sending signals based on its new state.

  • Can optionally track have a unique state per player, making it great to keep track of if a player has completed a certain task.
  • Can Save/Load to persist across gameplay sessions in published islands.
    • Has multiple options for how to resolve the current state of the switch if you have many players loading different states and the switch is tracking the same state for everyone.
  • Has different visuals to select from so you can match it to the style of your island.

Signal Remote / Signal Remote Manager

Signal remotes allow players to transmit signals without having to interact with a device. Simply equip your signal and press either Primary Fire or Secondary Fire to send one of two signals. What channels are transmitted is defined by the Signal Remote Manager. Simply place a remote manager in-game, drop your preferred remote in, then select channels for each input. 

  • You require a signal remote manager linked to a remote before it will send signals.
  • You can also set a cooldown time for how often players can activate that remote.
  • There are currently 4 rarities of remote available, allowing players to send up to 8 signals directly.

Skydome Device 

We’ve updated the Skydome Device to add the following options

  • Clouds
    • Default option changed from Realistic to off
    • Clouds Speed
    • Clouds Direction
  • Ambient Light 
    • Color
    • Intensity
      • Up to 100% to appear twice as bright.
  • Moon 2 

Tracker Device

  • Now allows for multiple Quests to be shown on the HUD at once, to help facilitate quests that take multiple sessions to resolve. In this update, up to 3 quests are to be displayed in the top left HUD.

UFO Spawner

  • Now has its own unique base.

Device Fixes

  • Fixed an issue with Customizable Light Dim transition when players join in progress.
  • Fixed an issue with the Lock Device to prevent a failed signal when disabled.
  • Fixed an issue with the Matchmaking Portal device UI.
  • Fixed an issue with the Area Fog that caused it to not work with the VFX Spawner.
  • Fixed an issue with the Radio device that caused some tracks loops to be skipped after a certain time.

Prefab & Gallery Updates 

  • Primitive Shapes Gallery Update
    • We have added 7 primitives to the gallery that are 6x larger than the previous primitives.
    • We also added 3 new materials to the primitives.
      • Chrome
      • Iridescent
      • World Grid
  • Added dark red curtains, drapes and rug to Spooky Prop Gallery B.

Prefab & Gallery Fixes

  • Fixed an issue where prefab and gallery assets were not resizing correctly.
  • Fixed an issue where some props, from Spooky Prop Gallery B, could not be seen from underneath.
  • Fixed an issue where the coliseum trim, from Colossal Coliseum Wall Gallery, could not be seen on the hub.

Island Updates

  • Added 2 New Islands
    • Survival Island - A balanced island with limited resources.
    • Survival Island Empty - A balanced island with no foliage.

Island Fixes

  • Fixed an issue where unused foliage actors were being referenced across multiple islands.

Gameplay Updates

  • The Bandage Bazooka now shows up as a "Ranged Weapon" in the Creative Consumables tab.
  • Fixed an issue that caused conditional buttons to fail in sending a signal even when disabled.

Gameplay Fixes

  • Fixed an issue that caused players to be unable to grab items inside of barriers when set to “All”.

UI Updates

  • HUD Info Type (Ranked) added
  • The 'All Devices' tab of the Channel Browser is now sorted alphabetically.