Disney has made a bold investment of $1.5 billion in Epic Games, with the aim of collaborating on new gaming projects and other forms of entertainment.
The company intends to have Epic develop titles and experiences centring around the vast catalogue of franchises under Disney's umbrella, such as the Marvel Universe, Pixar, Avatar, Star Wars, and many more.
Bog Iger, CEO of Disney, stated in a press release (via CNBC) that this unprecedented level of investment could be a watershed moment for the industry, with Epic Games' continuous ambition to make Fortnite more than just a battle royale fueled by Disney's desire to cement itself as a big player in yet another form of entertainment.
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
No concrete information was revealed regarding what sort of projects can fans expect to see or which franchises will be the first to step into the spotlight, sadly.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware that Epic Games and Disney have collaborated dozens of times, bringing skins and outfits to the battle royale from different IPs such as Star Wars and Marvel. Naturally, this new partnership will most certainly extend beyond cosmetics.
In recent months, Fortnite has become more than just a sweaty battle royale, becoming a hub for different full-fledged gaming experiences in collaboration with IPs and other game developers. There's LEGO Fortnite, a survival game similar to Minecraft, you have Fortnite Festival, a rhythm game by the creators of Rock Band, and Rocket Racing, an arcade racer developed by Psyonix, developers of Rocket League.
This newfound partnership with Epic doesn't mean Disney is abandoning other projects, at least short-term. Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws is set to release later in 2024, as well as Bethesda's Indiana Jones and The Great Circle.
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