For years, Fortnite players have looked to Tracker Network to see how they stack up against the rest of the world. Now, the company is bringing that same competitive edge directly into custom maps.
Tracker Network has officially rolled out a new, dedicated statistics API designed specifically for Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) creators. This tool lets developers build live, global leaderboards right into their custom game modes, bridging a massive gap for independent map makers. Before this, tracking player progress across different servers and gaming sessions was a massive headache.
How the UEFN Stats API Works
Under the hood, the API uses Fortnite’s programming language, Verse, to connect custom maps to Tracker Network’s extensive databases. This means map makers are no longer limited to tracking simple, single-session scores. They can now display lifetime wins, fastest speedrun times, total eliminations, or any custom metric they can think of, updated in real time.
The setup process is designed to be straightforward. Tracker Network provides a software development kit alongside comprehensive documentation. The workflow is simple:
- Creators generate an API key through the Tracker Network developer portal.
- They integrate the provided Verse code into their UEFN project.
- They define which custom stats they want to track and display.
From there, the API handles the heavy lifting, securely sending and retrieving data without lagging the game.
Boosting Player Retention and Revenue
Why does this matter? For one, player retention. Fortnite’s creative ecosystem is incredibly crowded. Thousands of new maps drop daily, and keeping players hooked is tough. Nothing drives engagement quite like seeing your username at the top of a global leaderboard, or realizing you’ve been knocked down to second place.
This financial incentive is a driving force. Under Epic Games’ current engagement payout system, creators earn a share of Fortnite’s revenue based on how long players spend on their maps and how often they return. A simple leaderboard can turn a one-off gimmick map into a daily habit for competitive players.
Bringing Trust and Security to Custom Maps
The implementation also solves some security worries. In the past, players found ways to exploit local save data to falsify their high scores. By routing data through an external, verified API, Tracker Network offers a more secure way to keep competitive play honest. It filters out suspicious spikes in data, ensuring the top spots on the leaderboard are actually earned.
Crucially, this is a two-way street. Not only can creators show leaderboards on-screen inside Fortnite, but players can also view these custom map stats on the public Fortnite Tracker website. This extends the map’s community outside the game itself. A player can show off their speedrun record to friends on their phone without even booting up their console.
The API is currently available to UEFN creators. Tracker Network plans to expand its feature set based on early developer feedback, potentially adding more complex stat-tracking options and deeper web integration in the coming months.
