The Walt Disney Firm has invested $1.5 billion to accumulate an fairness stake in Epic Video games as the 2 corporations plot a significant multi-year venture.
Disney plans to construct a brand new “video games and leisure universe” that goals to allow customers to “play, watch, store and have interaction with content material, characters and tales from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and extra”.
The brand new content material will probably be developed with Unreal Engine and can “interoperate” with Epic’s hit battle royale title Fortnite.
The Walt Disney Firm CEO Robert Iger referred to as the deal the corporate’s “greatest entry ever into the world of video games”.
Epic partnership
“Our thrilling new relationship with Epic Video games will carry collectively Disney’s beloved manufacturers and franchises with the vastly fashionable Fortnite in a transformational new video games and leisure universe,” stated The Walt Disney firm CEO Robert Iger.
“This marks Disney’s greatest entry ever into the world of video games and gives vital alternatives for progress and growth. We are able to’t await followers to expertise the Disney tales and worlds they love in groundbreaking new methods.”
Epic Video games CEO Tim Sweeney added: “Disney was one of many first corporations to imagine within the potential of bringing their worlds along with ours in Fortnite, they usually use Unreal Engine throughout their portfolio.
“Now we’re collaborating on one thing fully new to construct a persistent, open and interoperable ecosystem that may carry collectively the Disney and Fortnite communities.”
Historic collaboration
Disney and Epic have already collaborated previously in Fortnite with numerous licensing partnerships to carry Marvel and Star Wars characters and tales to the title. Epic additionally beforehand participated within the Disney Accelerator program in 2017.
In April 2022, Sony and LEGO every invested $1 billion into Epic Video games, valuing the corporate at $31.5 billion on the time.
In December, LEGO launched a brand new sport mode inside Fortnite, attracting a excessive of two.4 million gamers at its peak, in line with Fortnite.gg.
