DMCC and Wild Unlimited to Launch Dubai Developed in Fortnite 2033 on November 11

Wild Unlimited built the experience independently using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), the creation tool from Epic Games that lets developers design and publish their own experiences within the game. Players will explore an open world in teams, mixing exploration, competitive challenges and group missions.

The first version includes 10 Dubai locations: Al Fahidi Fort, Almas Tower, Uptown Dubai, Skydive Dubai, Deep Dive Dubai, Kite Beach, SALT, Dubai Harbour, XDubai and the American University in Dubai. The partners said more destinations, gameplay features and opportunities for creators and commercial partners will be added in later releases.

Partners and Talent

The project involved Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai Culture, SALT and investment company Shamal Holding. Students at the American University in Dubai redesigned their campus for the game during a UEFN workshop in February, part of a series of training sessions Wild Unlimited ran at Uptown Dubai and the university.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive of DMCC, said the next stage of Dubai's gaming growth will depend on games created locally that reach a global audience. He said DMCC's gaming centre now hosts more than 170 gaming companies. WAM said the centre is part of a wider cluster that also includes AI and Web3 businesses.

Sam Chami, founder and CEO of Wild Unlimited, said the aim goes beyond a single game to creating a digital destination where millions of players can discover the city.

Launch Campaign

A separate promotional campaign, Dubai Drop, began on November 1 with social media activity, creator events and augmented reality prize boxes placed around Dubai. Residents can collect AR items and win partner prizes, which will be handed out at the Wild Game Fest, a public launch event at SALT on Kite Beach on November 11.

Why It Matters

The launch is tied to the Dubai Programme for Gaming 2033, launched under Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to grow the emirate's games industry, develop talent and support the digital economy. Building on an established platform such as Fortnite gives a local studio access to a large existing player base without the cost of distributing a standalone game. It also tests whether destination marketing inside games can attract tourism and commercial partners, which the backers say is part of the plan for future releases.