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The Walt Disney Company has announced a significant investment in Epic Games, the creator of the popular online game Fortnite, marking a major collaboration between the two entertainment powerhouses. Disney will invest $1.5 billion to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games, with the aim of creating a new “entertainment universe” that will be connected to Fortnite.
This collaboration is set to deepen the existing relationship between Disney and Epic Games, which has already seen successful integrations with Fortnite through content seasons, in-game activations, and live events. Notably, the Marvel Nexus War with Galactus event drew more than 15.3 million concurrent players.
The new universe will be powered by Unreal Engine, a 3D graphics tool developed by Epic Games that has been used in various Disney projects, including video game titles like Kingdom Hearts 3 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, as well as in cinematic editing, film animation, and theme park attractions.
Here’s a sneak peek at the collaboration.
Players will be able to interact with content from Disney’s vast portfolio, including franchises such as Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and Avatar. The partnership aims to create a persistent, open, and interoperable ecosystem that will allow fans to play, watch, shop, and engage with their favorite stories and characters in innovative ways.
This move represents Disney’s most ambitious foray into the gaming industry and is part of a broader strategy under CEO Bob Iger to focus on sustained growth and shareholder value. The investment comes as Disney reported better than expected first-quarter earnings, with reduced losses in its streaming services and stabilized subscriber numbers.
The collaboration is expected to offer significant opportunities for both companies, as they leverage the popularity of Fortnite and the storytelling prowess of Disney to create a unique and immersive experience for millions of fans around the world.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
This article was written by a Nintendojo, Jr. Contributor. You can learn more about the initiative here.
