Disney and Epic Games will create a new “universe of entertainment” related to “Fortnite”

Disney decided to open a portfolio and invest a multi-million dollar amount in Epic Gamesas part of a project to create new “open and expansive” games, as well as a “universe of entertainment” related to Fortnite.

As part of this alliance, Bob Iger’s people will pay $1.5 billion acquire part of Epic Games and become shareholders of the studio responsible for Fortnite and the Unreal Engine graphics engine.

Apart from the official announcement from both companies, little is known about this new plan. According to Iger, the initiative will “bring together Disney’s beloved brands and franchises with the wildly popular Fortnite in a transformative new universe of gaming and entertainment.

Despite the lack of details, the Disney CEO’s words suggest that the new connection with Epic Games will be much deeper than the collaboration the two companies have had in the past. Let’s not forget that Tim Sweeney has characters, Shells and special content star Wars and Marvel in its famous battle royale.

For example, in 2019, an unpublished scene from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Climbing V Fortnite. And in 2022, Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared in the game as part of the advertising campaign for the Disney+ series dedicated to this character. Meanwhile, on Marvel’s side, Epic Games’ fourth season included a memorable event. War on the Nexuswith some of the most important heroes and villains of the House of Ideas.

Of course, these were not the only appearances of characters or elements of Disney franchises that occurred in Fortnite. But a new plan announced in the last few hours appears to be achieving a much broader and deeper purpose.

Disney opens his wallet and takes his millions Fortnite

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, noted that Disney is one of the first companies to trust the distribution of its intellectual property. Fortnite. He also emphasized that the corporation has become a devoted user of Unreal Engine. Technology that has been used in games, TV series, films and amusement parks.

The executive director emphasized that the new alliance will allow them to create “permanent, open and interoperable ecosystem” unite the Disney communities and Fortnite. It remains unclear whether this initiative is aimed at giving new impetus to metaverse-related efforts.

Sweeney was one of the main promoters of the idea of ​​a metaverse focused on Fortnite. At the end of 2021, he assured that it could become a global economic engine capable of generating “trillions of dollars.” It will be interesting to see if this alliance with Disney goes in that direction.

Epic Games confirms that players and fans will be able to create your own stories and experiences, and then share them with others. All this, of course, runs on Unreal Engine.

“Epic Games’ industry-leading technology and Fortnite’s open ecosystem will help us reach consumers where they are so they can engage with Disney in the way that’s most relevant to them,” said Josh D’Amaro, president of Disney Experiences.

The House of Mickey Mouse isn’t the first major company to team up with Epic Games and Fortnite through a multimillion-dollar investment. In recent years, Sony and the LEGO Group have also contributed large sums of money to the company as part of their project. strategic investments.