With a little Bippity Boppity Boo from Disney, Epic Games is about to become even more magical. Recently it was announced that The Walt Disney Company and Epic Games were coming together to expand what makes the House of Mouse so magical, their stories and experiences, including creating an open games and entertainment universe that’s connected to Fortnite. This includes Disney investing $1.5 billion to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games.
RELATED: Disney Announces MOANA 2 Set to Hit Theaters This November
This wouldn’t be the first time the two have partnered up. Epic Games, best known for Fortnite, is notorious for collaborating with other companies to make exclusive content for their players. This includes multiple Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Marvel-themed events, skins, and emotes. Disney has also used Unreal Engine to develop other games like Kingdom Hearts 3 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor; as well as it’s used in over 15 of the company’s park attractions.
WHAT LED TO THE DISNEY AND EPIC GAMES COLLABORATION
There are a few interesting things to note leading into this announcement. The first was that last year, Disney launched their own game, Disney Dreamlight Valley, which was similar to the Fortnite model, which is a free game, with paid seasonal events and specifically themed content to unlock, along with constant updates that expand the gameplay. The game is massively successful, despite the gamer pushback last year when it was announced that it added certain characters behind DLC paywalls.
Unlike Fortnite which is a battle royal game, Disney Dreamlight Valley is more on the cozy side. Players can build their village, welcome beloved characters, and live life day to day while accomplishing quests. This is slightly similar to Epic Games’ most recent project, LEGO Fortnite, which was released only a few months ago with Festival Main Stage and Rocket Racing as Epic Games looks to expand its collection.
With the direction that both companies seem to be moving towards, it isn’t that shocking to see this partnership come together. However, one also has to wonder if the recent issues that Epic Games has faced, might have also had a hand in this. It wasn’t too long ago that an announcement was made that the company was laying off 16% of its staff. As well as there was a giant lawsuit with Apple that ended up with both parties not getting what they wanted.
We might never know the impetus that caused this deal, but what we do know is that people are excited about the ideas that might come out of it. Epic Games released the following preview of the upcoming collaboration, teasing Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, and Avatar as some of the IPs that could be present in the new game world:
It is clear that this announcement is far bigger than just the scope of Fortnite collabs. It seems the two will be working together to offer a variety of ways to engage; including games, shopping, and video content. We can also expect characters and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, and more. In the announcement, they also touch on the ability that players will have to create their own stories and experiences.
Something they specifically mentioned that piqued our interest is the idea that people will be able to “express their fandom in a distinctly Disney way.” We’re still not completely sure what that means, but we are looking forward to finding out.
A working theory is this might be a way to expand a fan’s favorite pastime at the parks, Disney Bounding. This is when people use color blocking in their attire to resemble a specific character, without going full costume. This is such a big thing that the parks seem to make more Disney bounding type merchandise. As well as Dreamlight Valley offers the ability for players to customize their character’s clothes. Plus, Fortnite is notoriously known for its own ability to customize characters, so the idea doesn’t seem that far off.
Disney is no stranger to the world of gaming. Their licensed games have collected more than 150 awards over the years. As well as Epic Games is a leader in the gaming industry. Fortnite is still one of the hottest games around and continues to thrive despite being a free-to-play experience. As someone who has been saying over and over again “We need more Disney content” while battling it out in Fortnite, this announcement is exciting. However, it leaves us with a few questions.
RELATED: Disney+ Drops 10 New BLUEY Episodes – The Beloved Family Series Continues to Captivate
Will it just be a giant Disney map that people can travel around, similar to Fortnite? Is Epic Games getting set up as a one-stop hub for Disney gaming and content? Is this just another step forward as Disney works to take over the world of gaming, similar to how it conquered TV? Could we get Marvel and Star Wars events like we saw with Fortnite Exclusive concerts? Are new stories going to unfold as cinematically as Fortnite seasons?
Hopefully, we won’t have to wait long before the next announcement. Let us know what your thoughts are on the new collaboration between Epic Games and Disney. As well as what you are expecting, wishing for, or don’t want. Please let us know what you think about the news on The Illuminerdi’s social media.
SOURCE: The Walt Disney Company
KEEP READING: MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR – Devil Dinosaur’s Emotional New Arc Proves He’s More Than a Sidekick in Season 2
