Josh D’Amaro Discusses Disney’s Big Investment and Partnership With Fortnite

For the past seven years, one of the most successful online multiplayer video games was Fortnite, created by Epic Games. The online battle royal has generated billions of dollars for the company and has influenced an entire generation of kids who played it, as well as ushered in an era of online influencers and streamers who broadcast gameplay live on places like Twitch.

One of the game’s biggest moneymakers is the various licensed DLC content that allows players to become different characters in the game. From the DC Universe to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Dragon Ball to Five Nights At Freddy’s, the game is often considered the ultimate multimedia crossover.



Many of these crossover events include Disney-owned properties such as the Marvel Universe and Star Wars. The most recent addition includes Pixar’s The Incredibles, which is causing some controversy online. At one point Fortnite players were even offered Two Months Free of Disney+.

Earlier this year it was announced that Disney would be investing $1.5 Billion into the game in a Disney x Epic Games partnership that will allow players to discover and enter the worlds of various Disney characters and franchises, making this the first Disney virtual theme park experience. The current release plan for the collaboration has not been publicly stated at this time.

Comments on Disney and Fortnite

In a recent interview, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the company’s $60 billion investment plan for their theme parks. During this interview, he elaborated on the collaboration between the two media giants. He stated that the plan is to create “A place where you can play games, a place where you can be social, a place where users can generate their own content.“

He continued: “We envision essentially a universe that we’re going to build where all our stories can come to life. 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. And we think that this is going to be a place where all fans can come and interact 365 days a year.”

He also talked about the company taking a risk on the venture just like how Walt Disney himself would take risks on things: “We should never rest on past success. We should always look for the next big idea, the next big challenge. If we’d always relied on what worked in the past, the Walt Disney Company might not exist today. As consumer preferences continue to shift, we have to adapt, or we are going to be left behind.”



While it is true that this business deal would most definitely help expose their various brands and products to new potential consumers, the idea of creating these types of interactive IP-based experiences hasn’t always worked out. While certain MMO games, such as World of WarCraft, are good examples of online interactive communities, there are always massive failures such as the Metaverse. Only time will tell if this is a match made in heaven or a partnership gone to hell.

What do you think? Is Disney making the right decision in terms of partnering with Fortnite to offer a virtual Disney experience? Or will it eventually join the pile of other past failed business ventures, such as Disney Airlines? Let us know your thoughts. 

Sources: GameSpot, THR