When Disney announced it wasinvesting $1.5 billion in Epic Gameswith an eye toward integrating its IP intoFortnite, I was over the moon. As a Disney Adult – though one who will deny it if ever asked in person – and a Fortnite fan, what could be better? Ultimately, many, many things will be better because whatever this turns out to be, it won’t be what you’re hoping for.
I was ready to fall deep for whatever marketing speak was thrown my way about bridging the worlds of Fortnite and Disney. Immediately possibilities flooded my brain. I was going to have a Woody from Toy Story skin, battling someone wearing a Bob Iger skin as we popped off shots at each other inside the It’s A Small World ride at Disneyland.
The Dream Of Disney In Fortnite
While the above example is outlandish and would never happen, regardless of the reality we live in, it provides a good example of what the last year and a half has been like for those of us who happen to be Fortnite-playing Disney Adults. I mean, Disney just announced it was going to have its own universe within the game without really explaining what that means. The nerve to do that, especially given the last few Disney IP-stuffed years of Fortnite.
With so many Star Wars and Marvel characters over the last several years, it already feels like Disney and Fortnite exist together. In fact, there’ssomuch Star Wars content in Fortnite that I even have a Zorii Bliss skin. In case you’re wondering who Zorii Bliss is, she’s the leader of the spicerunners on Kijimi, played by Felicity star Kerry Russell for, like, three minutes in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – universally considered everyone’s favorite Star Wars movie. With obscure characters like that and Krrsantan (the Wookiee from that TV show youdefinitelylove, The Book of Boba Fett) also readily available.
Disney’s already here. So what on Earth could they actually be working on?
And that’s the place Disney Adults thrive. In Imagineering – the group that designs Disney’s rides and theme parks – this is called ‘blue skying.’ Dreaming up the absolute most perfect version of an experience. What would you do with an unlimited budget and no boundaries?
While running around a virtual Walt Disney World with shockwave grenades in a Zero Build battle royale would be amazing for us nerds, we realize that’s not going to happen. It’s hard to expect map locations based on rides or theme park-exclusive characters like Figment, the imaginary purple dragon that lives at Epcot, to be sold as skins. Disney is far too careful with its brand and image to let Mickey Mouse run around with a gun or allow someone dressed as Batman to throw a frag grenade at the Haunted Mansion.
How would a playable building even work anyway? Maybe it would sound like Eddie Murphy.
It would be amazing to get the Disney universe we all deserve in Fortnite. Sadly, that is just never going to happen.
The Reality Of Disney In Fortnite
In truth, we could look to Fortnite’s recent history for an idea of what will happen. When Lego was integrated into the game, alongside the Festival and Rocket Racing modes, there was a brief moment when it seemed as though Fortnite was about to conquer gaming. It was adding in elements of Rocket League, while also introducing its own versions of Rock Band and Minecraft.
The Lego additions were particularly exciting. There was a focus on building, exploring, and adventuring, rather than battling to the death. As a massive Minecraft fan, I momentarily wondered if I’d ever visit my realm again. A couple of weeks later, it was the last time I ever checked out any of Fortnite’s Lego options. The mode was disappointing and dull.
It seems I’m not the only one who thinks that, given the player numbers. A look on a random Wednesday afternoon sees hundreds of thousands of players spread across five unranked battle royale modes. Meanwhile, barely over 30,000 players are logged onto one of the three Lego modes. The interest, for the most part, has simply dissipated. Even bundling its battle pass in with the Fortnite Crew subscription hasn’t really helped. I’ve unlocked so many buildings and sets for use in the Lego modes and haven’t even considered revisiting them.
I fear this is what’s destined for Disney in the game. The modes that tend to succeed in Fortnite are connected to Battle Royale, with nothing else coming close. That is a rough place to start, but I’m afraid this is what will become the best-case scenario for Disney’s Fortnite universe.
In its ownpress release, the company said it was working on “a persistent, open, and interoperable ecosystem that will bring together the Disney and Fortnite communities.” More interestingly, though, it notes that the new mode will “offer a multitude of opportunities for consumers to play, watch, shop, and engage with content, characters, and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, and more.”
I’m assuming that you also paused at the word shop. This ecosystem is going to be a store with bells and whistles, no more and no less. To put it in Disney Adult terms, this is going to be Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the themed land in Disney’s US parks. The ride, Rise of the Resistance, is fun, but everything else is a mall full of stuff you don’t need. Throw a rock in Galaxy’s Edge and chances are you’ll hit a shopkeeper that wants to sell you a plush version of a deep-cut Star Wars alien.
I fully believe that’s what is on tap for Disney’s Fortnite universe. There will be minigames, you’ll be able to interact with AI Darth Vader and Goofy, and there will probably be a High School Musical playlist of Jam tracks to play on a special Disney Festival stage. And you’ll probably be able to snag some really cool cosmetics for use in Disney’s modes. Much like most of the Lego cosmetics, though, I can’t imagine many of them crossing over. There will always be exceptions to the rule – Jack Sparrow and the Fortnitized Disney villain skins – but Disney is a major company that’s incredibly protective of their IP.
So temper your expectations now. That way, you won’t be too disappointed when the mode finally arrives. And if I’m right about what it actually is, it’ll still have a small but dedicated fanbase, much like the LEGO modes. Outside of that, though, it’s hard to expect much.
However, if anyone from Epic is reading this, there is one workaround. Steamboat Willie is public domain. Nobody can stop you from making him the villain of next season and selling 19 different alternate color options. I’ll buy most of them, I promise.
