Epic Video games and The Walt Disney Firm have introduced a brand new collaboration that may consequence within the joint creation of an all-new video games and leisure universe. Alongside the partnership, The Walt Disney Firm is investing $1.5 billion to amass an fairness stake in Epic Video games.
The multi-year challenge goals to create an all-new universe that spans the assorted Disney properties, together with Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Avatar, and extra. Disney says gamers will be capable to create their very own tales and experiences, share content material, and categorical their fandom in experiences powered by Unreal Engine.
“Our thrilling relationship with Epic Video games will deliver collectively Disney’s beloved manufacturers and franchises with the massively standard Fortnite in a transformational new video games and leisure universe,” Disney CEO Bob Iger mentioned in a press launch. “This marks Disney’s greatest entry ever into the world of video games and gives important alternatives for progress and enlargement. We won’t watch for followers to expertise the Disney tales and worlds they love in groundbreaking new methods.”
You possibly can see the announcement trailer beneath.
The information comes 4 and a half months after Epic Video games laid off greater than 800 workers and about two months after Epic Video games launched Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Competition. That is removed from the primary time Disney properties have appeared inside Fortnite, as one of many first collaborations got here from Avengers: Infinity Warfare, with Thanos showing within the battle royale title. Since then, characters throughout Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney have appeared within the standard title. Epic’s Unreal Engine has been utilized in video games like Kingdom Hearts 3 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, park know-how like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and in numerous Star Wars and Marvel movie and TV initiatives.
“Disney was one of many first firms to imagine within the potential of bringing their worlds along with ours in Fortnite, they usually use Unreal Engine throughout their portfolio,” Epic Video games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney mentioned within the announcement press launch. “Now we’re collaborating on one thing fully new to construct a persistent, open, and interoperable ecosystem that may deliver collectively the Disney and Fortnite communities.”
Epic Video games is the proprietor of different improvement studios together with Rocket League developer Psyonix, Fall Guys developer Mediatonic, and Rock Band studio Harmonix. Presently, Sweeney is almost all proprietor of Epic Video games, with Tencent, Sony, and Danish funding administration firm Kirkbi A/S proudly owning stakes within the firm. As Disney notes in its press launch, the $1.5 billion funding to amass an fairness stake in Epic Video games is topic to regulatory approvals.
