Today’s Fortnite update adds in-game video chat, streamed from you and your squad’s mobile phones.
You’ll need Epic’s free Houseparty app, and to start with it’s only available on PC, PlayStation 5 and PS4.
So, how does it work? Well, once you’ve connected your Fortnite account within Houseparty it’s a matter of creating a group chat and plonking your mobile down next to wherever you’re sitting.
Houseparty’s tech then finds your face and pops it in Fortnite’s new on-screen video chat sidebar. Here’s how it looks:
This group chat, or Houseparty room, simultaneously exists within the app and within Fortnite – so you can chat to friends if they’re playing and you’re not, or vice versa.
And while you can already stream yourself while playing Fortnite with friends, this option is designed specifically for you to keep your pals on-screen and control who is in the video party. You can only chat with your Houseparty friends, and their friends, and you’re able to block anyone you don’t like in a couple of taps.