Disney bought a $1.5 Billion stake in Epic Games to make universe in Fortnite

Disney has purchased a $1.5 billion stake in Epic Games, with the idea of making an expansive universe in Fortnite that will tap into that good ol’ Disney magic.

This universe will be developed as a new expansive, open, persistent, and social universe that will “interoperate” with Fortnite, letting players “play, watch, shop, and engage” with their favorite characters and stories from key properties like Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, and more.

During Disney’s Q1 FY24 Earnings Call, they noted that the experience would be built in Unreal Engine, and will let players “create their own stories and experiences, express their fandom in a distinctly Disney way, and share content in ways that they love.”

“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,” said Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company in a press release. “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.”

“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,” said Tim Sweeney, CEO and Founder, Epic Games. “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.”

While we don’t have any more information about the partnership at this stage, we know that it is going to be a “multi-year project”. It’s certainly not the first time Disney has collaborated with Fortnite; we’ve seen a bunch of Marvel and Star Wars skins, events and crossovers over the years.

Considering other new experiences in Fortnite recently include LEGO, Rocket Racing, Fortnite Festival and more, this partnership just makes sense and is sure to print even more V-Bucks for both companies.