In a groundbreaking collaboration, The Walt Disney Company and Epic Games are set to create a fresh games and entertainment universe that will extend the influence of cherished Disney narratives and experiences. Disney is making a significant investment of $1.5 billion to secure an equity stake in Epic Games as part of this multiyear venture, pending customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Going beyond being a world-class gaming experience that seamlessly integrates with Fortnite, the upcoming persistent universe will provide numerous opportunities for consumers to participate, observe, shop, and interact with content, characters, and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, and more. Players, gamers, and enthusiasts will have the ability to craft their own stories and experiences, express their fandom in a uniquely Disney manner, and share content within their community, all powered by Unreal Engine.

Tim Sweeney, CEO and Founder of Epic Games, emphasized the significance of the collaboration, saying, “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 of Disney Experiences, highlighted the potential for the collaboration to reach a broad audience, stating, “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.”

Strengthening the Epic Games & Disney Partnership

The collaboration between Disney and Epic Games has already captivated hundreds of millions of players through Fortnite content integrations, season collaborations, in-game activations, and live events. Notable events include the Marvel Nexus War with Galactus, attracting over 15.3 million concurrent players.

Unreal Engine, a cornerstone in this partnership, is utilized for producing assets and content across the Disney portfolio. This extends from video games like Kingdom Hearts 3 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor to cinematic editing and animation for film and streaming, and the creation of more than 15 Disney Parks attractions like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

The roots of this collaboration can be traced back to Epic Games’ participation in the 2017 Disney Accelerator program, aimed at shaping the future of technology and entertainment.

Growth in the Gaming Industry

As the digital world witnesses substantial growth, with over 3 billion video game players worldwide, there is a demand for seamless transitions between beloved virtual worlds, unleashing creativity, and delivering exceptional gameplay.

Disney’s games business has thrived since its shift to a licensing business model in 2016. Operating as a leading games licensor, Disney collaborates with top-notch developers and publishers, including the creators of the best-selling superhero game of all time, Marvel’s Spider-Man. Disney’s licensed games earned more than 150 award nominations, wins, and other accolades in 2023, with multiple Game of the Year nominations for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Disney mobile games boast 1.5 billion global installs, and to date, nine Disney games franchises have each grossed more than $1 billion in sales. In the U.S., the world’s largest games market, licensed Disney titles regularly secure positions in the annual top-10 best-sellers list.