On the occasion of the presentation of its results, Disney had a little surprise for us. The company announced that it had decided to invest in Epic Games and, with this in mind, invested $1.5 billion.
A partnership which will above all allow Disney to get a foothold in Fortnite. After LEGO Fortnite And
Rocket Racing, Fortnite should therefore welcome a new persistent universe, powered by Unreal Engine around the universe of the most famous mouse. And Disney aims big since its universe within Fortnite should consolidate content from all of its licenses.
“In addition to being a world-class gaming experience and “interoperating” with Fortnite, the new persistent universe will provide a multitude of opportunities for consumers to play, watch, purchase and enjoy content, characters and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and more. Players and fans will be able to create their own stories and experiences, express their special passion for Disney and share content with each other in the way they prefer. Everything will be powered by Unreal Engine »
Walt Disney Company press release
According to Bob Iger, this partnership would even represent Disney’s biggest entry into the world of games, no less. A collaboration that is far from displeasing Epic Games, which makes no secret of wanting to expand its empire Fortnite by joining forces with other big names.
The announcement of this $1.5 billion investment comes just months after Epic Games’ decision to lay off nearly 16% of its workforce. News that Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, justified by the fact that the company spent much more money than it earned. With such a partnership, Tim Sweeney undoubtedly hopes to be able to reverse the trend.