Disney invests $1.5 billion in Epic Games to create massive Fortnite-style virtual universe

The Walt Disney Group announced its intention to invest $1.5 billion in Epic Games on February 7. The interest comes as part of a multi-year partnership to develop the “world of sports and entertainment”. The aim is to capitalize on the group’s numerous brands and characters (Disney and Pixar animated films, Marvel films and series, Star Wars, and Avatar, etc.) by bringing them together in a real-time 3D universe. Based on the Fortnite model (with which it will be interoperable).

Back to the Metaverse

If the word “metaverse” was not mentioned, it is actually this concept that is in question, and this is no coincidence. The term’s popularity exploded in 2021 when Facebook changed its name to Meta, but Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney was already a big proponent of it months earlier. This agreement represents a decisive step towards the vision of a playful universe based on its Unreal Engine game engine and designed on the model of Fortnite, a game that over the years has multiplied promotional events and partnerships with brands (including some characters from Marvel, Star). is Wars, or Tron).

As for Disney, it is the best possible partner for this project given the scale of its intellectual property. The group’s CEO, Bob Iger, billed the agreement as “Disney’s most significant entry into the world of video games ever,” explaining that it would allow fans to “play, watch, buy” in this environment. He sees strong growth potential there. Disney already uses the Unreal Engine for some of its games and movies, as well as content in its theme parks.

For Epic Games, the investment is a continuation of its growth strategy in recent years. China’s Tencent currently owns 40% of the company, while Sony will own 5% from 2022 (it invested $2 billion).