Making the Daft Punk Experience: VFX and Stage Design in Fortnite | Unreal Fest Chicago 2026

In September 2025, the Daft Punk Experience launched in Fortnite, inviting millions of fans to step inside the duo’s iconic visual and musical legacy.

This session recorded at Unreal Fest Chicago 2026 provides a technical deep dive into the creation of the two most complex environments within that activation: Alive 2007 and Contact. Directing these experiences required a delicate balance between intricate, high-concept stage design and the performance constraints of a massive multiplayer platform.

Rather than a broad overview, this talk goes deep into the VFX and technical art workflows used to translate the laws of physical concert lighting into a virtual space where those laws no longer apply.

We explore the journey from initial conception to execution, specifically focusing on how we pushed Unreal Engine’s features to recreate the massive, synchronized virtual lighting rigs and geometric complexity of the Alive 2007 pyramid and the cosmic scale of Contact.

While the project was built on a customized version of Unreal Engine, the techniques discussed—ranging from custom materials, Niagara particle systems, and extensive use of Unreal Engine’s Sequencer tools—are fully applicable to any creator working in the regular version of UE.

Find out more about Unreal Engine 5.8 here: unrealengine.com/news/unreal-engine-5-8-is-now-available

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