StaffsVerse: Exploring Unreal Editor for Fortnite in Virtual Campus Design

Virtual campuses have seen expanded development in the past few years, appearing in various technical forms ranging from WebVR to Minecraft. This paper presents the considerations behind development of the StaffsVerse, a virtual recreation of the University of Staffordshire's campuses, designed within Unreal Editor for Fortnite. In this work, we have discussed the optimization strategies behind designing the StaffsVerse and the social and marketing impacts during its initial release. The StaffsVerse is the first virtual campus to be released within Fortnite and serves as a new form of engagement and outreach. Future works can utilize the findings within this paper to inform design decisions when developing large-scale virtual campuses within UEFN.