The Walt Disney Company will acquire part of Epic Games for $1.5 billion

A The Walt Disney Company announced that it will acquire part of the Epic Games Store for 1.5 billion dollars and the two companies will collaborate on a new universe of games and entertainment for Disney linked to Fortnite which aims to expand the reach of the stories and experiences of Disney in the popular Battle Royale.

This new universe that will intertwine with Fortnite will offer multiple ways for consumers to play, watch, purchase and engage with content, characters and stories in the universes of Disney, Pixar, Marvel comics, Star Wars, Avatar and much more. Players will be able to create their own stories, experiences, express their passion in a unique way with the Disney seal and share content.

The president of The Walt Disney Company, Robert A. Iger commented the following:

Our exciting new relationship with Epic Games will bring together beloved Disney brands and series with the hugely popular Fortnite in a new universe of games and entertainment to mark Disney’s biggest-ever entry into the world of gaming and offers significant opportunities for growth and expansion. We can’t wait for fans to enjoy the Disney stories and worlds they love in new and innovative ways.

Tim Sweenythe founder and CEO of Epic Games added:

Disney was one of the first companies to believe in the potential of bringing their worlds together with ours in Fortnite, and using the Unreal Engine across its entire portfolio. Now we’re collaborating on something entirely new to build a persistent, open, and interoperable ecosystem that will bring together the Disney and Fortnite communities.

Josh D’Amarothe president of Disney Experiences concluded:

It will all allow us to bring together our incredible collection of stories and experiences from across the company to a broader audience in ways we’ve only dreamed of before. Epic Games’ industry-leading technology and Fortnite’s open ecosystem will help us reach consumers where they are so they can engage with Disney in the most relevant ways.

Overview of the relationship between Epic Games and the Disney:

A Disney and Epic Games will engage hundreds of millions of players through Fortnite content integrations, season collaborations, in-game activations and live events including Marvel Nexus War with Galactus, which has attracted more than 15.3 million players simultaneously.

The Unreal Engine is used to produce assets and content across the Disney portfolio that includes the development of video games such as Kingdom Hearts III and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor; in film editing and animation for films and streaming; and in the creation of more than 15 attractions in Disney theme parks, such as the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

It will all build on Epic Games’ participation in the 2017 Disney Accelerator program, which seeks to create the future of technology and entertainment.

Growth of the gaming industry and success of Disney Games

The digital world is growing and evolving with more than three billion video game players around the world who want to move safely and seamlessly between the worlds they love, unleash their own creativity and experience great gameplay.

Disney’s gaming business continues to deliver strong results since moving to a licensing business model in 2016. Disney is one of the leading game licensors and works with top developers and publishers, including the most popular superhero game. sold of all time, Marvel’s Spider-Man. Disney’s licensed games have received more than 150 award nominations and other accolades in 2023 that include multiple Game of the Year nominations for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Disney’s smartphone games have more than 1.5 billion installs across around the world, and to date, nine Disney game series have each grossed more than a billion dollars in sales. In the US, the world’s largest gaming market, Disney’s licensed titles regularly hit the annual top 10 list.

Fortnite is now available for Playstation 4, Xbox one, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, PRAÇA (Epic Games Store and Android).