Today The Walt Disney Company and Epic Games announced an agreement for the creation of a persistent universe connected to the developer's ultra-popular game Fortnite.
The experience, which is going to be built in Unreal Engine, promises to "offer a multitude of opportunities for consumers to play, watch, shop and engage with content, characters, and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and more."
Serving as the foundation for the agreement, Disney intends to invest $1.5 billion to acquire an undisclosed stake in Epic Games, pending regulatory approval.
To provide a taste of what players and fans can expect, Epic Games released a trailer, which shows what appears to be a mockup of the persistent world.
Details about the connection to Fortnite are scarce, but it's probable that it'll be similar to what we have seen with LEGO Fortnite and other experiences built within the framework of the popular battle royale game.
The press release included a comment from The Walt Disney Company Chief Executive Officer Robert A. Iger, boasting that this is the company's "biggest entry ever" into the gaming industry.
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.
We also hear from Epid Games CEO Tim Sweeney, who explains that Disney was one of the first companies to implement collaborations in Fortnite.
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.
Lastly, we hear from Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro.
This 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.
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.
Recently, Epic Games has started expanding Fortnite beyond its battle royale roots, including the nearly simultaneous release of the LEGO Fortnite survival crafting game mentioned above, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival. The company has often mentioned ambitions to turn the game into a full-fledged metaverse, and the process appears to be well underway.
