Disney and Epic Games have a longstanding relationship that sees Disney characters in Fortnite and Unreal at theme parks. One reporter thinks Disney is weighing whether to buy the company or not.
The claim comes from tech reporter Alex Heath, who recently spoke on The Town podcast. He said that senior executives were waiting for the right moment to throw their hat in the ring for a potential purchase of Fortnite owner, Epic Games. This follows Disney’s previous investment in developer Epic Games, which was to the tune of $1.5 billion in 2024, and was designated to “collaborate on an all-new games and entertainment universe,” which will further expand the reach of the company’s beloved stories and experiences.
While this previous deal gives Disney an equitable stake in Epic Games, the new claim reports the House of Mouse may want an ownership stake instead. Epic Games made headlines in the wrong direction recently with mass layoffs that saw 1,000 Epic staffers (including a disheartening story about health insurance) without work, stating, “The downturn in Fortnite engagement that started in 2025 means we’re spending significantly more than we’re making, and we have to make major cuts to keep the company funded.”
Alex Heath said on The Town podcast, “I know for a fact there are senior executives in Disney who want them to buy Epic and are just waiting for that moment,” adding, “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.” The executives who think “it’s a bad idea” may have taken a look at the Epic claim that Fortnite had a downturn in engagement. Fortnite is considered the crown jewel of the Epic library, and Heath thinks it would fit in naturally with Disney.
One Disney executive who strongly backed the company’s investment in Fortnite was Josh D’Amaro, the company’s new CEO. In an interview with CNBC, former executive Kevin Mayer called the investment in Epic a “great move” and said D’Amaro needs to figure out how to drive even further growth in the gaming sector. One potential move Disney could make is an outright purchase, and now it appears all the arrows are pointing to Epic Games.
As of this posting, there have been no formal offers or announcements regarding an Epic Games-Disney merger, and Epic Games remains a founder-controlled company, with CEO Tim Sweeney retaining full voting control.
