Epic Games recently redesigned Fortnite text chat, allowing creators to include text chat on their islands, and expanding chat filters.
Fortnite features three methods of text chat.
Party Channel – All members of a group party can text chat with each other, across any Fortnite island.
Game Channel – Creators can choose to allow Game Channel text chat on their islands, opening up the text chat for all players on that island.
Direct Messages – Friends can send direct messages to one another. Only friends in Fortnite (or the platform, such as Xbox) can DM one another.
All three of these text methods could available at one time. Players can quickly toggle between the channels. Incoming text message will be visible after closing the chat window.
New text chat filters have also been added. Personal information, such as addresses and credit card numbers, will be filtered out in real-time. Fortnite’s mature language filter has also been improved to “better filter out various kinds of mature language and toxicity.”
Talk about an arms race!
Both filters are always on for players under the age of 13, and always on for Game Channel texts.
Players can also report messages, and submit recent text chats to Epic for review, similar to voice reporting.
Parents and guardians can continue to manage child’s permissions, including text chat permissions, with the Epic Parental Controls.
Fortnite is available on PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox, and mobile devices, and rated T for Teen.
