Epic Games Launches Cross-Platform Voice Chat
Epic Parties allows seamless voice chats across Fortnite, Epic Games Store, and Epic Games app, with background chatting on mobile devices and other titles
Epic Games has introduced a new feature called Epic Parties, which enables cross-platform voice chats across different games and platforms, including Fortnite, the Epic Games Store, and the Epic Games app. This feature allows for seamless transitions of voice chats between platforms and games.
The voice chat can continue in the background when on mobile or when playing other titles from the Epic Games Store. Players can invite each other to a party from their friends list, and there will be an option to move an existing text chat to voice with a 'Start Party' button in the chat window.
Epic Parties is also cross-platform, allowing people to communicate no matter what hardware each of them is on. People who accept an Epic Party invite will automatically be placed in the same Fortnite lobby together when in-game.
The new feature is part of Epic Games' efforts to expand its social features, having reached an all-time record of 78 million monthly active users on PC in 2025, with over $1 billion spent in the Epic Games Store. Epic Parties will also be available in Rocket League next year.
## What's next Epic Games aims to integrate the voice and avatar systems directly into Unreal Engine 6, and offer the tools to other developers in time. This move is seen as a competitor to Discord, a popular third-party app for voice chats.
The introduction of Epic Parties marks a significant step in Epic Games' efforts to provide a seamless social experience across its ecosystem. With the ability to communicate with friends across different platforms and games, Epic Games is poised to enhance the gaming experience for its users.
## Background Epic Games' decision to launch Epic Parties is likely driven by the growing demand for social features in gaming. The company's efforts to expand its social features have been ongoing, with the introduction of text chat communication options last year. The launch of Epic Parties is a significant step forward in this effort, providing a more comprehensive social experience for users.
