The Walt Disney Company and Epic Games are to collaborate on an all-new games and entertainment universe that will further expand the reach of Disney stories and experiences.
In addition, Disney will also invest $1.5 billion to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games alongside the multiyear project.
The new persistent universe – which will interoperate with Fortnite – 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.
Powered by Unreal Engine, 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.
“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,” commented Robert A. Iger, ceo at The Walt Disney Company. “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.”
Tim Sweeney, ceo and founder, Epic Games, continued: “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.”
Josh D’Amaro, chairman at Disney Experiences, added: “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.”
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