After Lego, Fortnite offers a Disney universe

This was an unexpected announcement this Wednesday evening. After surprising fans by making the sequel official Moana, With its animated film released in 2016, Disney has just announced a major collaboration with Epic Games. In an official press release published a few hours ago, the American giant indicated that it has invested $1.5 billion To become a minority shareholder of (the only) video game studio. At the same time, he also announced the creation of a permanent universe in the ecosystem Fortnite. No easy skins or temporary events, Disney wants to think big.

Disney coming to Fortnite, forever, forever?

If Mickey’s arrival on Epic Games’ board of directors is still subject to general nods of disbelief, then the birth of the magical world promised by Disney yesterday is only a matter of time. The chemistry between the two companies works. Marvel and Star Wars characters regularly appear in Battle Royale, which relies heavily on it Integration of Third-Party Licenses

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Except this time, the ambitions displayed by Disney and Epic Games are much higher. There’s no temporary partnership here, it’ll be about building a real open world around the Disney license, like the game already offers through it. Minecraft Lego style. Fortnite No longer just intending to be a successful game, but a dream to see itself as real A multimodal entertainment ecosystemMany are able to integrate sports, but also social events, such as the Eminem concert, which at the end of last year gathered almost 20 million virtual viewers.

A “new and revolutionary” experience

For Disney boss Bob Iger, this new stage looks like “Disney’s biggest entry into the world of video games“, with all the potential for growth and expansion that this implies. The company is thinking big, as all Disney licenses – including Marvel and Star Wars – will be affected by the merger and participate in the creation of “”.A new world of games and transformative entertainment” The bet is big, and the promise is enticing. For Tim Sweeney, CEO and founder of Epic Games, it will be about achieving “A continuous, open and interoperable ecosystem that will bring the Disney and Fortnite communities together“

“Epic Games’ cutting-edge technology and Fortnite’s open ecosystem will help us reach customers where they are so they can interact with Disney in a way that works best for them.– Josh Di Amaro, President of Disney Experiences

In the first visual shared by Disney, we quickly understand the scale of the project. Like a virtual amusement park, the open world promised by Epic will be divided Several zones are dedicated to licenses of each denomination From the entertainment giant. We can already see a hub full of skyscrapers, bringing together Disney+, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Marvel and ESPN. In the south, the studio hosts the world The Nightmare Before Christmas, Wreck-It Ralph And no Demons and co.When vessels of Lilo and Stitch And Star Wars Split the sky.

What can we expect?

This encounter between Disney and Fortnite is far from trivial. Despite record profits ($2.15 billion last quarter), the entertainment giant needs a new lease on life. The recipe for the Avengers and the multiverse no longer works like it used to, and the saga Star Wars

It has lost its magic. Mickey’s Empire is now taking advantage of its streaming platform and its 111.3 million subscribers, Taylor Swift’s historic concert film, will be released next month. So it is logical that video games and virtual worlds emerge as the next travel companions.

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