Universal Orlando Resort has kept theme park fans buzzing with speculation for years, and one of the biggest ongoing questions has been about video games. Now, at least part of that answer is official.
The Rumors Were Real — Sort Of
Universal's relationship with gaming has already become a major part of its identity. SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Epic Universe brought Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and more Nintendo characters to life when the park opened in May 2025. Since then, fans have been wondering where Universal might take gaming properties next.
The biggest names circulating in theme park fan communities have included The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Speculation has connected a possible Zelda expansion to Universal Islands of Adventure, while Pokémon has frequently come up in conversations about the long-term future of Universal Studios Florida. None of those rumored permanent projects have been officially announced.
What has been officially announced, however, is another enormous gaming franchise — and it's arriving in 2026. The franchise is Fortnite.
FORTNITEMARES Is Coming to Halloween Horror Nights 35
Universal has confirmed FORTNITEMARES as a new scare zone for Halloween Horror Nights 35 at Universal Studios Florida. The experience draws inspiration from Fortnite's own annual Halloween event and will transform part of the park into a live-action version of the game's spooky world, complete with Fortnite characters, environments, and elements woven throughout.
Universal teased the experience on social media, telling guests to prepare for the Storm and warning that they won't know exactly what horrors it might bring.
Rather than a traditional haunted house, Universal is using the Fortnite franchise for a scare zone — an outdoor environment where scareactors, sets, props, lighting, and other effects bring the game to life around guests as they move through the park. The scare zone will also feature recognizable Fortnite elements, including the iconic Battle Bus, placing guests inside a Halloween-themed battleground.
It's a natural fit, even if Fortnite isn't primarily known as a horror franchise. FORTNITEMARES has given the game a well-established Halloween identity over the years, making it a compelling way for Universal to bring the property into Halloween Horror Nights.
Could More Gaming Franchises Be on the Way?
It's worth keeping things in perspective: a temporary Halloween Horror Nights scare zone is very different from constructing an entire land or permanent attraction. FORTNITEMARES doesn't confirm any of the larger rumors surrounding Universal Orlando.
Still, it's hard not to notice the pattern. SUPER NINTENDO WORLD already proved that video games can translate into ambitious, large-scale theme park environments — Epic Universe dedicated a significant portion of the park to Nintendo, with attractions based on Mario Kart and Donkey Kong. Now Fortnite is entering Universal Studios Florida, even if only for Halloween Horror Nights.
That makes the continued speculation surrounding Zelda, Pokémon, Sonic, and other gaming properties all the more intriguing. A permanent Zelda land at Islands of Adventure or a Pokémon presence at Universal Studios Florida would represent a much larger commitment — and Universal hasn't announced either. Those possibilities remain speculation for now.
But if FORTNITEMARES proves popular, Universal will have yet another example of how strongly guests respond to seeing a beloved gaming franchise brought to life in a physical space.
A Packed Halloween Horror Nights 35 Lineup
FORTNITEMARES joins an already stacked Halloween Horror Nights 35 lineup. The event runs on select nights from August 28 through November 1, 2026, and Universal says this year's event will feature 10 haunted houses along with scare zones and live entertainment.
The confirmed haunted house lineup includes:
- Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control
- Sinners
- Stranger Things 5
- Hellraiser
- Evil Dead Burn
- Cybergoria
- H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular!
- INVASION: Alien Abduction
- MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals
An Ozzy Osbourne-themed house has also leaked ahead of any official announcement, though Universal has not confirmed it — so that one stays in the rumor column for now.
FORTNITEMARES adds a distinctly different flavor to the event, tapping into one of gaming's biggest modern franchises and turning it into something guests can physically step into. Whether Fortnite remains limited to Halloween Horror Nights or becomes the beginning of something larger at Universal Orlando remains to be seen — but after years of gaming rumors, one major franchise has officially made the leap from screen to theme park.