Tim Sweeney from Epic Games Refutes Claims of ‘Slow’ Partnership with Disney

Disney’s $1.5 Billion Bet on Epic Games: Creating a Persistent Universe in Fortnite

In an ambitious move announced in February 2024, Disney revealed a substantial investment of $1.5 billion in Epic Games. This partnership aims to develop a persistent universe within the popular game Fortnite, integrating beloved franchises such as Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and Avatar.

Insights from Epic Games

The vision for this project was elaborated upon by Epic Games Executive Vice President, Saxs Persson. He highlighted Disney’s desire to create a cohesive environment where all their franchises can coexist, emphasizing the collaborative potential within an interconnected ecosystem. Persson stated:

Disney wants a persistent place where all things Disney can be there, but they want to be part of an ecosystem we’ve built. We see the power of ecosystems interoperating as being really the magic here. From a player perspective, you want to flow between a Fortnite experience, a Disney experience, or any experience.

Concerns About Project Progress

Despite this ambitious vision, a recent report from the Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources within Epic Games, suggests that the collaboration may be facing delays. The report indicates that the project, codenamed “Bulldog, ”is encountering obstacles due to Disney’s extensive approval process, which involves multiple divisions.

Epic’s Response to Allegations

Tim Sweeney, the founder and president of Epic Games, swiftly addressed these claims through a post on X, firmly countering the allegations of slow collaboration. He declared:

The anonymous quote is BS. The speed of Disney and Epic collaborations like Darth Vader has been awesome and is around 10x the ordinary speed of media company dealings in this business. We even provided a statement to the writer of this article saying so, but they chose not to print it.

Projected Release Timeline

Nevertheless, Sweeney did not dispute the report’s indication that the Fortnite and Disney project is aiming for a release as early as Fall 2026. As the gaming and entertainment landscape continues to evolve, fans will be eagerly watching to see how this partnership develops.

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