Working professionally in video game development and design is the dream of many young gamers, but for Hayleigh Kuhn, that dream is a reality.
Kuhn, 24, from Chatsworth, is a professional game developer, designing 3D models and gaming experiences featured in the popular game Fortnite. This is a title that many parents have probably already heard of and may even play it themselves. Fortnite offers several game modes, including player versus player, player versus environment, and more. One mode, called Fortnite Creative, allows players to create their own game worlds, somewhat similar to Minecraft. It was in the creative mode that Kuhn's skills began to shine.
At the end of 2021, I released a card called Stars Ultimate Ragerun, a challenging game, Kuhn said. It was a success and my great luck.
Until then, Kuhn, an honors graduate of North Murray High, was already an avid fan of the game among the Fortnite gaming community, but quickly began to attract attention for her talents from professional developers, including Epic Games officials, according to Kuhn, due to Ragerun's popularity.
“Fortnite” is the published product of Epic Games, which developed the “Unreal Engine” software, which powers the design and 3D worlds of many of its most successful titles, including “Fortnite.” Unreal Engine was named the “best performing video game engine” 10 years ago by Guinness World Records, making Epic a powerful player among video game publishers. Epic Games' gross revenue was $5.6 billion last year with 270 million users, according to Statista.com.
Many of my creations have been featured by Epic, Kuhn said, displayed in the Discover menu under the Epics Picks section of the games. Players can view and choose to play in the worlds she created. Indeed, his creations have been performed millions of times, according to Kuhn.
In late 2022, Kuhn was approached by Epic Games to create a musical experience for an upcoming project, she said, leaving her day job as a photographer to fully pursue the opportunity.
With this experience, Kuhn landed a dream job at Zen Creative Studios, a team that professionally develops gaming experiences both on the Fortnite platform and off-platform using Unreal Engine itself.
Teamwork takes up most of my time, so I haven't released as many projects that I do on my own as I used to, Kuhn said.
Although she now makes a living doing what she loves, Kuhn still takes the time to foster the community of enthusiasts where she has her roots.
I also take time twice a week to test and give detailed written feedback on maps that other creators have created and submitted for testing through Fortnite Creative Headquarters (FCHQ), Kuhn said.
According to her, FCHQ is the online community where creative enthusiasts like Kuhn publish their own work and is not affiliated with Epic Games.
I love creating, helping others create and learning new ways to create, Kuhn said.
She likes to attend fandom conventions, always wearing pink outfits.