Disney & Fortnite Worlds Set to Collide after $1.5b Investment
Disney and Epic Games are joining forces to create all new games and experiences in an entertainment universe to further expand on Disney franchises. This news comes after Disney announced it will invest $1.5b to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games that is currently subject to conditions, including regulatory approvals.
This project will be a persistent universe similar to the recently released (and insanely popular) Lego Fortnite, and will “offer a multitude of opportunities for consumers to play, watch, shop and engage with content, characters and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and more.” The announcement further states that player will be able to create their own stories and experiences, express their fandom, and share content with others, all powered by the Unreal Engine.
Tim Sweeny, CEO and Founder of Epic Games had this to say: “Disney was one of the first companies to believe in the potential of bringing their worlds together with ours in Fortnite, and they use Unreal Engine across their portfolio. “Now we’re collaborating on something entirely new to build a persistent, open and interoperable ecosystem that will bring together the Disney and Fortnite communities.”
Robert A. Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company also weighed in on this massive announcement: “This marks Disney’s biggest entry ever into the world of games and offers significant opportunities for growth and expansion. We can’t wait for fans to experience the Disney stories and worlds they love in groundbreaking new ways.”
There’s a lot to unpack here, and I’ll be making a video on it shortly to go further into detail, but as it stands, this is an incredibly huge merger with almost unlimited potential. It would seem that there’s no slowing down the juggernaut that is Fortnite, and this is a huge win for Disney fans and Gamers alike.
