Disney and 'Fortnite' creators to launch shared universe: $1.5bn invested to develop new gaming ecosystem with Star Wars, Marvel and Avatar characters

According to Disney CEO Bob Iger, The Walt Disney Co. is joining forces with "Fortnite" video game creators Epic Games for an ambitious joint project that will create a new "gaming and entertainment universe" combining Disney characters from franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and Avatar.

Here's What We Know

To support this ambitious project, Disney is making a $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games.

Iger, in an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, described the project as "a huge Disney universe that will be for gaming and for play, and for watching and even for shopping for digital goods, and maybe ultimately physical goods that will live alongside Fortnite, but be completely interconnected with Fortnite".

The company also described the new universe as something more akin to a social network, saying that "players, gamers and fans will be able to create their own stories and experiences, express their fandom in a distinctly Disney way, and share content with each other in ways that they love."

Note that Disney and Epic Games have collaborated before. For example, a hint of backstory to the film "Star Wars 9: Rise of Skywalker," was first hinted at in the game "Fortnite." Of course, the scale of this collaboration is not at all comparable to the one just announced. It's believed to be Disney's biggest video game decision yet, and it reflects the company's commitment to adapting to changing consumer preferences, especially among the Alpha, Z and Millennial generations who are spending more and more time playing games.

According to Tim Sweeney, head of Epic Games, the partnership aims to create an ongoing, open and interconnected ecosystem that brings together the Disney and Fortnite communities.

The companies also released a teaser video:

Source: THR