The Walt Disney Company is investing $1.5 billion in Epic Games.



“Our exciting new relationship with Epic Games will bring together Disney’s beloved brands and franchises with the hugely popular Fortnite in a transformational new games and entertainment universe,” said Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “This marks Disney’s biggest entry ever into the world of games and offers significant opportunities for growth and expansion. We can’t wait for fans to experience the Disney stories and worlds they love in groundbreaking new ways.”

The House of Mouse has a storied history with the maker of Fortnite. Epic Games worked with Lucasfilm on real-time visual effects rendering for the Star Wars live-action spin-off series on Disney+.

“Disney was one of the first companies to believe in the potential of bringing their worlds together with ours in Fortnite, and they use Unreal Engine across their portfolio,” said Tim Sweeney, CEO and Founder, Epic Games. “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.”

What do you think about Disney buying an equity stake in Epic Games and creating an entertainment universe for Fortnite? Let me know in the comments below.