In a bold move Disney CEO Bob Iger announced has announced that Disney and Epic Games – the creators of Fortnite – will create a new “games and entertainment universe” bringing together characters from Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, Avatar and more into one place. Interoperable with Fortnite and powered by Epic’s Unreal Engine, the move also sees Disney invest a $1.5 billion equity into Epic Games to support the project, which is planned to run for multiple years.
The Walt Disney Company and Epic Games will collaborate on an all-new games and entertainment universe that will further expand the reach of beloved Disney stories and experiences. Disney will also invest $1.5 billion to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games alongside the multiyear project. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
In addition to being a world-class games experience and interoperating with Fortnite, the new persistent universe will 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. Players, gamers and fans will be able to create their own stories and experiences, express their fandom in a distinctly Disney way, and share content with each other in ways that they love. This will all be powered by Unreal Engine.
