Epic Games is reportedly addressing the perceived decline in Fortnite’s popularity by planning a new flagship game: an Extraction Shooter featuring Disney characters. This initiative aims to provide a fresh hook to re-engage and attract new players to the Fortnite ecosystem, leveraging Epic’s strategic alliance with Disney.
The collaboration between Disney and Epic was officially announced in February 2024, envisioning an open, persistent, and social universe connected to Fortnite, backed by a significant $1.5 billion investment from Disney. Recent leaks from Bloomberg indicate that this partnership will manifest as an extraction shooter incorporating Disney’s beloved characters. The game is reportedly slated for release as early as November 2026.
Bloomberg frames this alleged project as a potential rescue operation. The outlet suggests that Epic Games is relying on games emerging from the Disney alliance to bolster Fortnite’s future, particularly after acknowledging internally that several recent updates did not perform as anticipated. This context is underscored by public events, including Epic’s announcement of over 1,000 layoffs on March 24th, attributed to a decrease in Fortnite’s engagement levels starting in 2025. Furthermore, players have reportedly distanced themselves from Epic and Fortnite following price increases for its virtual currency.
Epic Games’ New Strategy: An ARC Raiders-Style Extraction Shooter with Disney Characters to Revive Fortnite
According to reports, Epic Games aims to create a game in the vein of ARC Raiders, but utilizing Disney’s intellectual property. This approach makes strategic sense, given ARC Raiders’ player-friendly extraction shooter mechanics and its subsequent popularity. Five months after its launch, ARC Raiders continues to see weekly peaks of nearly 130,000 concurrent players. The game involves players entering a hostile zone, battling AI-controlled enemies and other players, collecting loot, and attempting to extract. Failure to extract results in the loss of all carried items and progress.
A key differentiator for ARC Raiders is its emphasis on Player vs. Environment (PVE) gameplay, where players can complete missions without directly engaging each other. For those seeking more competitive encounters, the game offers a more tense and systemic Player vs. Player vs. Environment (PvPvE) structure. This hybrid approach could be ideal for players who primarily engage with Fortnite as their sole shooter experience, allowing for matchmaking that caters to both PVE and PVP preferences.
Reflecting on the 2024 agreement, both companies initially presented it as an interoperable mega-space connected with Fortnite via Unreal Engine. This space was envisioned as a platform where users could “play, consume content, shop, and create experiences” centered around brands such as Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and Avatar. Two years later, practical integration is becoming evident, such as the linking of MyDisney accounts with Epic to unlock in-game items in Fortnite, signaling that the collaboration is active and more than just a corporate promise. The upcoming extraction shooter, heavily featuring Disney’s intellectual property, is expected to be the first major collaboration, likely incorporating numerous microtransactions, particularly for skins, to generate revenue for both companies.
