Disney announced a $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games. The entertainment giant is specifically targeting the Fortnite game, which continues its transformation into an ecosystem.
Is the future of Disneyland in Fortnite? This is a bit like how we can sum up Disney’s investment in Epic Games to the tune of 1.5 billion dollars. The firm announces that it has never made such a large investment in video games despite its presence in entertainment on the big and small screens.
Over the years, Tim Sweeney’s company has managed to convince investors like Sony, Chinese Tencent and now Disney. They are repurchasing shares of the creator of the Unreal Engine, which is already used in the world of the series, notably by Disney on the series. The Mandalorian. But it is above all in Fortnite that Disney wants to invest with 1.5 billion dollars.
A virtual amusement park
With this investment, Disney wants, in fact, to work with Epic Games ” New games“And “A world of entertainment» Where customers will be able to ” Play, watch, buy and join content, characters and stories from the universes of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, etc.“
This is the path already followed by Lego, which was able to partner with Epic Games to create Lego Fortnite, completely independent of the competitive battle royale game. inLEGO FortniteYou enter a world of constructions with gameplay somewhat reminiscent of a survival gameMinecraft.
We can very well imagine what a collaboration between Disney and Epic Games could deliver. The two companies will undoubtedly develop experiences that exploit the world of Disney, like Lego Fortnite, but also offer more free areas or easy visits to the vast world of entertainment. In short, a virtual experience of what Disneyland Theme Park has to offer today.
Raising Epic Games
This time investment is not insignificant. In late 2023, Epic Games undertook several waves of layoffs, citing financial difficulties surrounding the development of Fortnite, and sold off its Bandcamp branch. The publisher was also engaged in a losing legal battle with Apple, which involved the removal of Fortnite from the App Store and significant legal fees. Fortnite may make its return to iPhone and iPad in 2024 thanks to new European legislation.
For its part, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe losing momentum, Disney is also looking for new growth drivers. The company is increasingly investing in video game partnerships. Giant took part in the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PlayStation 5 in 2023 and Indiana Jones on Xbox and PC this year and maybe PlayStation 5, we will know next week.
