Disney is not considering a full buyout of Epic Games, but has teased future collabs in the next few years that will “demonstrate the value” of the partnership between the two companies.
The House of Mouse made a significant investment in Epic Games back in 2024, acquiring a 9% equity stake for a hefty fee of $1.5bn, and development is ongoing to create an ‘entertainment universe connected to Fortnite.’
However, on the back of claims earlier this year that Disney could buy out the company, Dana Walden, the President & Chief Creative Officer at Disney, made it clear that’s not on the agenda.
Disney Not Considering Epic Games Buyout
Speaking to Bloomberg, she said: “It was pretty obvious that we had very serious questions about an investment and an equity stake,” adding, “Those are not the conversations we’re having right now,” when asked if Disney could buy out the company.
While that’s not in the plans, Disney and Epic Games are cooking up more collabs and launches in the future, with Dana Walden adding: “We have a great partnership and a number of launches coming up in the next two years that are going to demonstrate the value of this partnership.”
Disney’s long list of collabs with Fortnite includes bringing big names and recognisable faces into the Epic Games world, with the long list including the likes of The Incredibles, Pirates of the Caribbean, Maleficent, Captain Hook, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Toy Story all featured in the game.
Chapter 5 Season 4: Absolute Doom featured an entire Marvel theme, while a mini-season in Chapter 6 last year focused on Star Wars, which had further expansion in the game earlier this year with the release of creative tools, which led to the creation of the likes of Droid Tycoon.
Given the packed slate of big releases Disney has lined-up in the years ahead, there’s a wide variety of things that could feature, with the first scenario being Chapter 8 kicking off in December with a major tie-in to Avengers Doomsday, releasing the same month.
More details will be shared in the future, though it’s interesting to see that these collabs and tie-ins have significantly long-term planning.
What Disney collabs would you like to see added to Fortnite? Let us know your thoughts on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For your next read, check out the arrival of Jimothy the Raccoon in Fortnite and take a look at the surprise Hollow Knight collab. Plus, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter.
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