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Disney is buying a $1.5 billion equity stake in Epic Games and kicking off a multiyear project with the studio that'll see a new "persistent universe" of familiar properties that connects with Fortnite.
There's a lot to unpack here, and that starts with how the press release describes the new project: "In addition to being a world-class games experience and interoperating with Fortnite, the new persistent universe will offer a multitude of opportunities for consumers to play, watch, shop and engage with content, characters and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and more. 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. This will all be powered by Unreal Engine."
Elsewhere in the release, the project is described as "an all-new games and entertainment universe." That's still maddeningly vague, but at least it looks like we're finally escaping the word 'metaverse.' It sounds like this project will build on the precedent set by projects like Lego Fortnite, Fortnite Festival, and Rocket Racing, which are billed as separate games that you can access from within the Fortnite launcher, and which feature completely different mechanics from the battle royale, all while tying back into the central game's progression systems. In essence, it might just be live service Kingdom Hearts.
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There's a brief teaser video that mostly just shows existing footage from Fortnite and the Disney brands, but it does note four central features in this project: play, watch, create, and shop. That all sounds in keeping with what Fortnite has become over the past few years, but I have to admit that it's still a little weird seeing "shop" listed as a central selling point. The teaser ends with the promise that this multiyear project will launch "soon(ish)."
"This marks Disney’s biggest entry ever into the world of games and offers significant opportunities for growth and expansion," Disney head Bob Iger says in the press release. "We can’t wait for fans to experience the Disney stories and worlds they love in groundbreaking new ways."
Okay, but when are we getting another Kingdom Hearts 4 update?
