Universal Orlando Resort has spent the last few years giving theme park fans plenty to speculate about, and one of the biggest questions has involved video games.Now, Universal has officially confirmed that another major gaming franchise is coming to Universal Studios Florida.The announcement gives fans their first concrete answer after months of rumors surrounding gaming properties across the resort. This particular addition won’t necessarily look like what many guests expected, but it puts another enormously popular video game inside a Universal Orlando theme park.And depending on what happens next, it could be another sign that Universal sees gaming as a much bigger part of its future.Credit: UniversalVideo Game Rumors Have Surrounded Universal OrlandoUniversal’s relationship with video games has already become impossible to ignore.SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Epic Universe brought Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and other Nintendo characters into Universal Orlando Resort in a major way when the park opened in May 2025. Since then, rumors have continued about where Universal could take gaming properties next.Among the biggest names repeatedly discussed by theme park fans are The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon.Speculation has connected a possible Zelda expansion to Universal Islands of Adventure, while Pokémon has frequently surfaced in conversations about the long-term future of Universal Studios Florida. Sonic the Hedgehog and other gaming franchises have also appeared in rumors and fan discussions.None of those rumored permanent Orlando projects have been officially announced.However, Universal has now confirmed that another major video game property is coming to Universal Studios Florida in 2026.This time, the franchise is Fortnite.Credit: Andrew Boardwine, Inside the MagicOfficially Coming to Universal Studios Florida…Universal has announced FORTNITEMARES as a new scare zone for Halloween Horror Nights 35.The experience takes inspiration from Fortnite’s annual Halloween event and will transform part of Universal Studios Florida into a live-action version of the game’s spooky world. Fortnite elements, characters, and environments will become part of the experience as guests make their way through the park.Universal teased the experience on social media by telling guests to prepare for the Storm and warning that they won’t know exactly what horrors it might bring.Rather than building a traditional haunted house around Fortnite, Universal is using the franchise for a scare zone. That means guests will experience the property in an outdoor environment where scareactors, sets, props, lighting, and other effects can bring the game to life.The announcement is particularly interesting because Fortnite isn’t primarily known as a horror franchise. However, FORTNITEMARES has given the game a Halloween identity for years, making it a natural way for Universal to bring the property into Halloween Horror Nights.The scare zone will also feature recognizable Fortnite elements, including the Battle Bus, while placing guests inside a Halloween-themed battleground.For Universal Orlando Resort, it’s another major gaming franchise making the jump from a screen into a physical theme park environment.Credit: Epic GamesCould More Video Games Be Coming Next?FORTNITEMARES doesn’t confirm any of the larger rumors surrounding Universal Orlando. A temporary Halloween Horror Nights scare zone is very different from constructing an entire land or permanent attraction.Still, it’s difficult not to wonder where Universal’s growing interest in gaming could eventually lead.SUPER NINTENDO WORLD already proved that video games can translate into ambitious theme park environments. Epic Universe dedicated a significant portion of the park to Nintendo, complete with attractions based on Mario Kart and Donkey Kong.Now, Fortnite is entering Universal Studios Florida, even if only for Halloween Horror Nights.That makes the continued rumors surrounding Zelda, Pokémon, Sonic, and other gaming properties even more interesting.A permanent Zelda land at Islands of Adventure or Pokémon presence at Universal Studios Florida would represent a much larger commitment. Universal hasn’t announced either project, so those possibilities remain speculation.However, FORTNITEMARES gives gaming fans another reason to watch Universal closely.If the scare zone proves popular, Universal will have another example of how strongly guests respond to seeing a major gaming property brought to life.Credit: NintendoUniversal Orlando Resort Is Getting BiggerFORTNITEMARES joins an already packed Halloween Horror Nights 35 lineup at Universal Studios Florida.The event runs on select nights from August 28 through November 1, 2026. Universal says this year’s event will feature 10 haunted houses along with scare zones and live entertainment.The haunted house lineup includes Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control, Sinners, Stranger Things 5, Hellraiser, Evil Dead Burn, Cybergoria, H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular!, INVASION: Alien Abduction, and MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals.An Ozzy Osbourne-themed house has also leaked ahead of an official announcement, though Universal has not confirmed it. That distinction remains important until the company formally adds the house to its lineup.FORTNITEMARES adds a very different flavor to the event. Instead of another traditional horror property, Universal is tapping into one of gaming’s biggest modern franchises and turning it into an experience guests can physically enter.Whether Fortnite remains limited to Halloween Horror Nights or becomes the beginning of something larger remains to be seen.But after years of rumors about video games spreading throughout Universal Orlando, one major franchise has officially crossed that line.The post Rumors Confirmed: Universal Announces Arrival of Massive Gaming Franchise in Orlando Park appeared first on Inside the Magic.