Disney Invests $1.5 Billion On Epic Games To Build A Fortnite-Based Disney Universe
Fortnite’s multi-franchise universe is about to get bigger as Disney partners with Epic Games to bring the entire Disney universe into the game. The partnership comes with a whopping $1.5 billion investment from Disney to help fund the creation of the Fortnite-based Disney world and the studio itself.
“We’ve entered into a strategic relationship with Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite to not only invest in the company, but we’re also creating a huge Disney universe,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger in an interview with CNBC.
“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,” Disney told Variety. “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.”
Iger says that the massive investment is Disney’s “biggest foray into the game space ever,” at least for a single franchise anyway. According to the Disney boss, they’ve invested around $9 billion to license multiple video game franchises, including Spider-Man, which was one of the most successful video games last year.
He adds that its newly formed partnership with Epic “is the best of all worlds in many respects from a business venture perspective, and certainly great for consumers who love to interact with our characters already in video game format.”
It’s likely going to be several years before we get an actual glimpse of the project, but for now, you can check out the Disney x Epic promo video below.
