The Walt Disney Company has simply put some huge cash into Epic Video games, all to make a brand new universe. Disney introduced as we speak that it’s bought a $1.5 billion stake in Epic, with the latter engaged on a “new video games and leisure universe” for the previous.

The announcement from Disney says will probably be a multiyear undertaking, for a brand new persistent universe that might be a “world class” video games expertise and in addition interoperate with Epic’s ever-popular pop-culture mash-up machine, Fortnite. This new universe may have alternatives for individuals to “play, watch, store and have interaction” with the likes of lots of Disney’s franchises. From traditional Disney and Pixar to Marvel, Star Wars, and someway James Cameron’s Avatar, it’s all right here.

All of will probably be powered by the Unreal Engine. And the deal is, after all, topic to regulatory approvals.

“Our thrilling new relationship with Epic Video games will carry collectively Disney’s beloved manufacturers and franchises with the vastly in style Fortnite in a transformational new video games and leisure universe,” mentioned Disney CEO Bob Iger within the launch. “This marks Disney’s largest entry ever into the world of video games and affords vital alternatives for development and enlargement. We will’t watch for followers to expertise the Disney tales and worlds they love in groundbreaking new methods.”

An entire new world?

It’s not the primary time that Disney and Epic, and even Fortnite, have crossed paths. Epic’s battle royale has featured skins, weapons, and occasions for a number of Disney properties via Marvel and Star Wars.

Heck, Disney’s personal online game efforts really feel like they’ve been steadily ramping up. Disney Dreamlight Valley has been capturing its personal mindshare inside the life sim style, and video games starting from Disney Phantasm Island to Marvel Snap and Jedi: Survivor have all been notable in their very own rights.

Epic itself has been in a peculiar place. The corporate’s been steadily churning out Fortnite, and not too long ago launched elevated efforts for a video games ecosystem inside Fortnite, via Pageant and Rocket Racing. The tech large additionally reduce 16% of its workforce final yr, amid the wave layoffs we’ve seen all through the video games trade. And the Fortnite maker additionally fought lengthy authorized campaigns with Google and Apple over their app retailer practices.

“Disney was one of many first corporations to imagine within the potential of bringing their worlds along with ours in Fortnite, and so they use Unreal Engine throughout their portfolio,” mentioned Epic CEO Tim Sweeny in as we speak’s announcement. “Now we’re collaborating on one thing totally new to construct a persistent, open and interoperable ecosystem that may carry collectively the Disney and Fortnite communities.”

A partnership with Disney strains up. However $1.5 billion is a large funding. And a brand new persistent universe, tied into Fortnite? I’m curious what this finally ends up wanting like, and whether or not it is a signal of the place video games are headed within the subsequent 5 or so years.