WildArk is proud to partner with nature-focused entertainment house, Untamed Planet, on the release of its first Fortnite title, Dodo’s Escape: The De-extinction Island.

Untamed Planet was inspired and co-founded by WildArk directors as a way to mobilise the general public towards reaching 2030 biodiversity and climate goals.

Untamed Planet’s mission is to use entertainment to drive action for nature with the goal of protecting 100m acres. The company intends committing 50% of its profits to help protect nature which will be channelled through conservation not-for-profit WildArk.

Dodo’s Escape was conceived to grow awareness of the Sixth Mass Extinction crisis facing our natural world by giving gamers agency to act for the planet.

Dodo’s Escape: The de-extinction island takes the form of the popular Fortnite game format “a death-run”, situated on a fictionalised version of Mauritius, The Dodo’s native home. Players must race through a series of challenging environments in an effort to save a dodo trapped in the grips of an active volcano.

Entering the map, players are thrust into this new universe by finding themselves in a science station used by one of our main protagonists, Hannah Patel, Chief Scientist at the United Nations Special Climate Force (Nature Force). The action starts quickly with players sliding headfirst into the jungle, as they begin to navigate abandoned traps, water wheels, and even grind along overgrown vines as they attempt to reach the volcano.

Featuring a massive variety of obstacles from man-eating plants to dangerous lava lakes, the map culminates in a final push to the top of the volcano. Players must sprint forward as they dodge a steady rain of boulders, before finally reaching the summit to save the dodo.

From the moment you enter the map, there are dozens of easter eggs that point to the real-world science, and the wider story – giving players a taste of what’s really happening and what’s to come in the brand new, exciting universe from Untamed Planet.

In line with Untamed Planet’s mission, players who participate in the new Dodo’s Escape map will be contributing to real-world conservation efforts, with a portion of map earnings going directly towards conservation groups and their efforts to protect threatened species.

The map launched with the world’s biggest Fortnite creators including Muselk, Zemie, Loeya and Aussie Antics going head-to-head in a timed tournament, each with the aim of rescuing the stranded dodo in the fastest time.

John Hardman, President, Untamed Planet & CEO, WildArk – “We’re excited to launch our first experience within Fortnite in collaboration with Click. This kicks off a coordinated effort to engage a broad community in a universe of fun, nature-inspired entertainment experiences, while testing new models to drive positive change.”

Jennifer McGowan, Chief Scientist, Untamed Planet& WildArk – “Making conservation fun and accessible to everyone must be part of our global solutions to halting nature loss. This is an innovative way to start engaging people with global challenges that affect every facet of our society. If we can give people a chance to act by doing something they already love to do – we are reimagining how collective action can drive positive change through gaming.

Matthew Palaje, Head of Studio, Click Media – “Working on Dodo’s Escape was a fantastic experience from a technical perspective. We wanted to really push the limits of UEFN to create an incredible player experience, and we executed this by creating a realistically detailed world, introducing new Fortnite gameplay elements using Verse, and developing beautiful in-game cinematics with motion capture animation to further communicate the overall game narrative.”

Elliott ‘Muselk’ Watkins, Creative Director, Click Media – “The opportunity to build an incredibly fun Fortnite Creative experience with a message of conservation within its very DNA was amazing. Utilising Fortnite Creative as a means of introducing my audience to Untamed Planet’s broader mission and helping them expand their already dedicated existing community is a real privilege.”