Disney is reportedly looking to acquire Epic Games, the developers behind Fortnite, in the near future.
The rumors were first put forward by veteran tech journalist Alex Heath during The Town podcast, and were subsequently shared by prominent Fortnite leakers and dataminers on X.
The news comes only a week after Epic Games announced mass layoffs across the company, cutting over 1,000 team members within the span of a single day and confirming the shutdown of several fan-favorite Fortnite modes, including Festival Battle Stage and Rocket Racing.
Disney Looking to Buy Epic Games
As reported by Heath, executives at Disney are exploring the idea of buying out Epic Games, and might just be waiting for the right moment to do so.
“I know for a fact there are senior executives in Disney who want them to buy Epic and are just waiting for that moment,” Heath said. “And then there are others who think it’s a bad idea. If Epic ever sold, if it ever decided to call it quits on being an independent company, Disney would be the most natural home for it for a lot of reasons.”
Such a buyout would also mean that Tim Sweeney could no longer describe Epic Games as an independent company, something he has repeatedly emphasized, making the possibility of a deal far less likely.
However, considering Epic Games’ recent struggles with declining player engagement and other challenges facing Fortnite, a potential merger might not necessarily be the worst outcome either, as it could provide additional financial backing and long-term stability for the company.
At the time of writing, the reports remain purely speculative, and neither Disney nor Epic Games has made any official announcement regarding a potential deal.
