Why Disney is investing heavily in Fortnite

Disney has invested $1.5 billion in Fortnite publisher Epic Games. It aims to create its own niche in video games by bringing together all its licenses and characters.

Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and more. These are the licenses that must be brought together around the new universe in the Fortnite video game. The promise was made by Disney this Wednesday, February 7, following the announcement of a massive investment in Epic Games, the publisher of the event title.

During its first quarter financial results, Disney reported a net profit that exceeded its expectations. But the group also unveiled a $1.5 billion stake in Epic Games to build a partnership with the publisher. For many Fortnite players, this “opens the door to a whole new world of gaming and entertainment,” said Disney boss Bob Iger.

New experiences

The space could be “a kind of Disney World a la Fortnite, where people can play, create their own games, watch videos, maybe interact with each other and even shop,” he elaborated. .

In December 2023, the video game Fortnite was already open to new experiences. Since then it has become possible to race cars, survive in the Lego universe or play music in an activity based on the basics of Guitar Hero.

Disney can thus add new activities. Above all, the group was one of the first to integrate its license into the Fortnite video game. For a long time, players have been able to wear “skins” (personalized outfits) bearing the image of Spider-Man, Darth Vader, or even Indiana Jones.

“This will allow us to bring together our incredible collection of stories and experiences from across the company and present them to a wider audience in ways we could only dream of before,” said Josh D’Amro, president of Disney Experience.

However, no details have been given regarding the possible release date. We’ll definitely have to wait several months before this partnership materializes in a video game.

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