Disney is investing $1.5 billion for a stake in Epic Games, and will work with the video game developer and publisher to create a new “games and entertainment universe” connected to Fortnite.
In the new universe, which will be powered by Epic’s Unreal Engine, consumers will get to “play, watch, shop and engage with content, characters and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and more”, Disney said in a press release.
“Players, gamers and fans will be able to create their own stories and experiences, express their fandom in a distinctly Disney way, and share content with each other in ways that they love,” the media giant added.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said: “Our exciting new relationship with Epic Games will bring together Disney’s beloved brands and franchises with the hugely popular Fortnite in a transformational new games and entertainment universe.
“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.”
Tim Sweeney, CEO and founder of Epic Games, said: “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.”
Disney’s gaming business shifted to a licensing model in 2016. The company has already worked with Epic to bring characters from brands such as Marvel and Star Wars to Fortnite.
Disney invests $1.5bn in Fortnite studio
Epic Games also participated in the 2017 Disney Accelerator, created to push the growth of innovative companies.
The partnership with Epic “will enable us to bring together our incredible collection of stories and experiences from across the company for a broad audience in ways we have only dreamed of before”, said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney’s parks and experiences segment.
“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 ways that are most relevant to them.”
With Disney experiences heading to Fortnite, it’s possible that Fortnite‘s characters and stories could end up in Disney theme parks, so watch this space.
Images courtesy of Disney and Epic Games
