The Fortnite platform is expanding, with Epic Games and the Walt Disney Company announcing their collaboration on a new open, persistent, and social universe within Fortnite. Recently, in December, LEGO Fortnite was launched on the Fortnite platform, which also features Rocket Racing and Fortnite Festival. This multiyear collaboration between Fortnite and Disney aims to enable consumers to play, watch, shop, and interact with content, characters, and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, and more. As part of this partnership, Disney is investing $1.5 billion to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games.
Disney and Epic Games have previously collaborated on Fortnite content, seasonal events, and more. The Marvel Nexus War event featuring Galactus attracted over 15.3 million concurrent players, and the Unreal Engine has been utilized in Disney games, including Kingdom Hearts 3 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Also, the Unreal Engine has been used for cinematic editing and animation in films and streaming, as well as in Disney Parks attractions, such as Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
“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,” said Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “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.”