In a groundbreaking move, Walt Disney Co. has announced its acquisition of a $1.5 billion equity stake in Epic Games Inc., the studio behind the highly popular game Fortnite. This new partnership will bring together the worlds of Disney's beloved franchises, such as Star Wars, Marvel, and Avatar, with the immersive world of Fortnite. Fans can look forward to watching, shopping, and playing alongside their favorite Disney characters within the game, as well as experiencing new titles and collaborations that extend beyond the digital realm into Disney's iconic theme parks.
Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger expressed his enthusiasm for this collaboration, calling it the company's biggest foray ever into the world of games and recognizing the immense potential for growth and expansion that it entails. This marks a significant shift for Disney, following its previous struggles with developing successful in-house game titles, which led to the shutdown of much of its game operations in 2016. Now, Disney focuses on licensing its properties to external developers and publishers like Electronic Arts Inc. and Sony Group.
The partnership between Disney and Epic Games is not entirely new. The two companies have been collaborating for several years, with Epic's Unreal Engine software being used in the development of Disney games, and Fortnite players already enjoying avatars representing popular Disney characters like those from Star Wars, Marvel, and Indiana Jones. Disney's previous involvement with Epic through its Accelerator program, which mentors and supports smaller businesses, further solidified the foundation for this groundbreaking collaboration.
The scope of this project is expected to span several years, as Epic Games takes on the development of these immersive experiences internally. This partnership also follows Epic's previous successful collaborations with major consumer product companies. Just last year, Kirkbi, the family holding company controlling the Lego Group, invested $1 billion in Epic to create online experiences using the Lego brand. The result, Lego Fortnite, proved to be a massive hit, drawing in millions of players with its unique blocky Lego style.
The collaboration between Disney and Epic Games holds tremendous potential to revolutionize the gaming industry and create a new level of interactive entertainment for fans worldwide. As this partnership unfolds, gamers and Disney enthusiasts alike eagerly await the exciting experiences and adventures that await them in the world of Fortnite.