Fortnite
is
every
nerd’s
dream
come
true,
where
your
favorite
pop
culture
characters
run
around
a
shrinking
map,
shooting
at
each
other.
It
got
a
massive
boost
from
Disney
that
will
ensure
it
will
continue
to
grow
and
have
an
endless
supply
of
content.
Following
numerous
announcements
and
financial
information,
Disney
CEO
Bob
Iger
announced
the
House
of
The
Mouse
will
be
investing
$1.5
billion
in
Epic
Games’
ridiculously
popular
free-to-play
game
Fortnite.
During
the
call,
Iger
called
the
investment
Disney’s
“biggest
entry
ever
into
the
world
of
games,”
which
will
lead
to
creating
a
“games
and
entertainment
universe”
inside
the
thriving
world
of
Fortnite.
“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
an
entertainment
universe,”
wrote
Disney
CEO
Bob
Iger
in
a
statement.
“This
marks
Disney’s
biggest
entry
ever
into
the
world
of
games
and
offers
significant
opportunities
for
growth
and
expansion.”
According
to
the
trailer,
we
are
getting
some
real
Ready
Player
One
type
experience
minus
the
cool
VR/AR
headsets
that
will
allow
players
to
“play,
watch,
shop
and
engage
with
content,
characters,
and
stories
from
Disney,
Pixar,
Marvel,
Star
Wars, Avatar,
and
more,”
power
by
Epic
Games’
Unreal
Engine
and
it’s
coming
“soon-ish.”
Disney’s
History
With
The
Unreal
Engine
Disney
is
very
familiar
with
the
powerful
game
engine
utilizing
it
in
its
theme
park
attractions
and
in
movies
plus
video
games.
Some
of
Disney’s
IPs
from
Star
Wars,
Marvel
Studios,
and
Tron
are
already
in
Fortnite.
The
news
of
Epic
Games
securing
a
$1.5
billion
investment
comes
on
the
heels
of
massive
layoffs
in
the
video
game
industry.
Epic
Games
laid
off
630
workers,
about
16%
of
its
workforce,
in
September
2023.
The
investment
is
subject
to
customary
closing
conditions,
including
regulatory
approvals.
You
can
see
reactions
to
the
announcement
in
the
gallery
below.