The Walt Disney Co. and Epic Games are deepening their partnership, as the companies continue to move along with plans to launch an entirely new playable world based on Disney IP.
That will include letting players link their Epic Games accounts to their myDisney accounts, which will set players up for future experiences (users that link their accounts will also get a special stormtrooper skin). And in a first for both companies, Disney will debut the first two episodes from an upcoming Star Wars animated series inside Fortnite days before it is released on Disney+.
Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld debuts on Disney+ May 4, but will be available to view on a Star Wars Watch Party island inside Fortnite beginning May 2, the company says. Players on the island can also battle enemies while they watch.
Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld is an animated anthology series from Dave Filoni that focuses on the criminal underbelly of the Star Wars universe. You can watch a trailer below:
But first, Epic will roll out an entirely new Star Wars themed season called Fortnite: Galactic Battle, beginning May 2.
“For the first time, Disney+ is premiering a show inside a game, launching alongside our largest Star Wars collaboration with Fortnite to date – giving fans and players an exciting first look at the kinds of experiences they can expect as we shape a new future together,” says Sean Shoptaw, executive vp of Disney Games & Digital Entertainment. “We’re building the next era of digital entertainment, where fans can play, watch, create and connect – and we’re just beginning to tap into what’s possible.”
“Disney and Epic are pioneering the future of social entertainment together, and this expansive Star Wars collaboration offers a glimpse into the type of interactive experiences we envision,” added Epic Games president Adam Sussman. “We are reimagining what’s possible with immersive storytelling in Fortnite with one of the world’s most beloved franchises – stay tuned for a lot more to come.”
A little over a year ago, Disney announced a $1.5 billion investment in Epic, with plans to build its new in-game universe with Disney IP. While the specifics of that universe and when it will launch remain under wraps for now, Disney and Epic have partnered to bring IP like Star Wars and Marvel to Fortnite already.
That includes playable characters in Fortnite, but also some exclusive video: In 2019, Fortnite players were able to watch an exclusive clip from The Rise of Skywalker.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last year, Disney experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro framed the Epic Games deal as being about the future of the company, comparing the push to Walt Disney’s own sense of risk-taking.
“We envision essentially a universe that we’re going to build where all our stories can come to life,” D’Amaro said. “They can come to life in different forms, [like] games. They can come to life in ways that you can just interact with and play with the franchise in a way that’s meaningful to you, a place where you can actually build,” he adds. “And we think that this is going to be a place where all fans can come and interact 365 days a year.”
