Apart from a wealth of Fortnite skins based mostly on Disney IP, it hasn’t actually been clear what the leisure firm has gotten in return for its $1.5 billion funding in Epic from 2024. That would change this November, Bloomberg experiences, when Epic releases a Disney-themed extraction shooter. The sport is certainly one of three Disney tasks the writer is presently engaged on, and is reportedly anticipated to be Epic’s comeback after the corporate laid off 1,000 staff in March as a consequence of a “downturn in Fortnite engagement.”
The sport is reportedly much like Arc Raiders, a multiplayer shooter the place gamers battle for sources earlier than escaping via an extraction level, however with Disney characters combating enemies as an alternative of post-apocalyptic survivors. Bloomberg writes that inner reviewers have nervous that the sport’s mechanics are “not very authentic,” however the venture is essentially the most promising of the three Epic is creating. The second title acquired middling inner evaluations, in accordance with Bloomberg, and Epic moved sources off the third venture “after experiences that Disney was dissatisfied by Epic’s launch timeline.”
“This isn’t reflective of the ambitions of the Disney collaboration,” Liz Markman, Senior Director of Communications at Epic Video games, stated in an announcement. “We’re constructing a brand new video games and leisure universe of Disney experiences.”
Whereas particulars of Epic’s work for Disney are coming into focus, it is nonetheless unclear whether or not this new extraction shooter will likely be a standalone recreation or included as a mode in Fortnite. In its efforts to promote the title as a “multiverse” and a competitor to Roblox, Epic has launched a number of video games inside Fortnite over the previous couple of years with distinct mechanics. The developer introduced that it could shut down three of these titles — Rocket Racing, Ballistic and Fortnite Pageant Battle Stage — as a part of its current spherical of layoffs. In keeping with present and former Epic staff Bloomberg spoke to, a number of affected staff have been additionally engaged on these unannounced Disney video games.
When it invested in Epic in 2024, Disney wished to construct an leisure universe, the place gamers may “play, watch, store and have interaction with content material, characters and tales from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, and extra.” Epic’s present plans sound much less all-encompassing than that, but when they handle to extend engagement with Fortnite and Disney’s model, that may not matter.
Replace, April 10, 7:29PM ET: Added an announcement from Epic Video games.
