Fortnite is becoming a Star Wars screening room this week, but players will have more to do than stand in front of a giant video screen. Epic Games is opening a new in-game experience where fans can watch a 10-minute sneak peek of The Mandalorian and Grogu before the movie arrives in theaters.
The event starts on May 19 and sends players into a Nevarro-inspired city with bounties, enemies, and a Grogu rescue mission. It is part movie preview, part Fortnite mission, and part Disney crossover event.
The Watch Party Island is built around a playable version of Nevarro, a city tied closely to The Mandalorian. Players are recruited as a Deputy, then sent into the city to collect bounties, fight enemies, and search for Grogu.
Epic could have simply shown the footage on a screen, but the new island gives players a short Star Wars experience first. Players who spend enough time on the island can unlock the Mandalorian Sanctuary loading screen, giving fans something to keep after the event ends.
The Mandalorian and Grogu reaches theaters on May 22, so Fortnite is giving fans a few days’ head start on new footage. Disney and Epic are using Fortnite as a place where players can watch part of a film, play through a themed mission, and collect a reward without leaving the game.
It also fits Fortnite’s long-running role as a crossover platform. The game has hosted major music, movie, and Star Wars moments before, but this event is aimed directly at fans waiting for Din Djarin and Grogu’s first big-screen story.
The movie preview is landing during a wider Star Wars push inside Fortnite. Epic has added several themed experiences this month, including Galactic Siege, Escape Vader, and Droid Tycoon, along with quests, rewards, and cosmetics.
Players are not jumping into a one-off island with no connection to the rest of the game. Fortnite is already full of Star Wars activities, so the early movie footage becomes another reason to log in during the current crossover window.
For players who only want the sneak peek. Open up Fortnite, enter the island, play through the short story, and you’ll be able to watch the footage. The Mandalorian and Grogu opens in theaters on May 22.
