Disney announces Fortnite partnership and ‘entertainment universe’

Disney announced a multiyear partnership with Fortnite to create a “persistent” games and entertainment universe in the multiplayer game and beyond. The Burbank, CA, company said in a statement that its new initiative will “interoperate” with Fortnite and “offer a multitude of opportunities for consumers to play, watch, shop and engage with content, characters and stories” from all of Disney’s franchises, including Marvel and Star Wars. Disney also acquired a $1.5 billion equity stake in Epic Games, giving it an element of control in the company, which also owns and licenses Unreal Engine. Disney uses Unreal in several of its initiatives, including game development – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, for example – and TV and film production. The news follows a Bloomberg report in 2023 that said Disney sought to expand its presence in the games industry and suggested Disney CEO Bob Iger faced internal pressure to lead the company into a more profitable future. Near the end of 2023, Epic Games laid off nearly 1,000 em