The Walt Disney Company and Epic Games are teaming up to create a new gaming and entertainment world. Disney will invest $1.5 billion in Epic Games as part of this venture, pending standard closure procedures, including regulatory approvals.
This new universe will integrate Disney’s beloved stories with Epic Games’ technology, offering various experiences to players, including interaction with Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, and more.
Users can create their own narratives, share content, and engage in Disney-themed activities within the universe, all powered by Unreal Engine.
Disney and Epic Games have a history of collaboration, with engagements like Fortnite content integrations and live events, such as the Marvel Nexus War with Galactus, which attracted over 15.3 million concurrent players.
Unreal Engine has been instrumental across Disney’s projects, including video games like Kingdom Hearts 3 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, cinematic editing, streaming, and the creation of Disney Parks attractions like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
This collaboration builds on Epic Games’ participation in Disney’s 2017 Accelerator program, aimed at shaping the future of technology and entertainment.
Disney’s shift to a licensing model in 2016 has led to successful partnerships, such as with Marvel’s Spider-Man, which became the best-selling superhero game. Disney’s licensed games have received numerous awards, including Game of the Year nominations for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Their mobile games have over 1.5 billion global installs, and nine franchises have each earned over $1 billion in sales. In the U.S., Disney’s licensed titles often rank among the top 10 bestsellers.
Speaking about the partnership, Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company, said:
Our thrilling new partnership with Epic Games will unite Disney’s cherished brands and franchises with the immensely popular Fortnite in a revolutionary new gaming and entertainment universe. This represents Disney’s largest venture yet into the gaming realm, presenting substantial prospects for advancement and expansion. We’re eager for fans to immerse themselves in the Disney narratives and realms they adore through innovative new ways.
Commenting on the collaboration, Tim Sweeney, CEO and Founder, Epic Games, said:
Disney was among the early believers in the potential of merging their realms with ours in Fortnite, utilizing Unreal Engine across their spectrum of endeavors. Now, we’re embarking on a fresh collaboration to craft a persistent, open, and interoperable ecosystem, uniting the Disney and Fortnite communities in an entirely novel endeavor.