Fortnite maker Epic Games working on a Disney extraction shooter

Epic Games is developing a new extraction shooter for Disney and plans to launch it in November, according to a new report from Bloomberg. It will be the first game released as part of Disney’s $1.5 billion investment in Epic, which is best known for Fortnite and the Unreal Engine.

According to Bloomberg, the extraction shooter is similar in style to Embark Studios’ hit Arc Raiders, but will feature Disney characters. It’s unclear whether the characters will be unique to the game or as diverse as the Disney-owned characters in Fortnite, which spans properties like Star Wars, Marvel, and Toy Story. Epic has brought dozens of Disney characters to Fortnite over the past eight years, including recent additions like Perry and Dr. Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb.

Epic’s Disney extraction shooter is said to be “not very original,” according to sources cited by Bloomberg, but employees are “optimistic that Epic will get it right by the launch date.” Fortnite itself was not very original; the game’s dominant battle royale mode was released as a direct competitor to (or blatant copy of) Krafton’s PUBG Battlegrounds (née PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds), which helped popularize the battle royale genre.

Disney getting into the extraction shooter business comes after reports claimed the entertainment giant aims to appeal to Gen Z men with new, original movies. As established brands like Star Wars and Marvel’s superhero fare struggle to hit the highs of yesteryear, Disney is pushing creators to focus on products that appeal to younger male consumers — specifically the ones that play video games.

Even with Epic’s reach and track record with Fortnite, a new extraction shooter is not a guaranteed hit. Embark found unexpected success with Arc Raiders, but whatever Epic and Disney are working on will face intense competition from new entries this year, including Bungie’s Marathon, Krafton’s PUBG: Black Budget, and Deep Worlds’ Beautiful Light. Some developers are wisely steering clear of the increasingly crowded PvPvE space.

Epic’s deal with Disney will reportedly include at least two more games. In 2024, the companies announced plans to create an “all-new games and entertainment universe that will further expand the reach of beloved Disney stories and experiences.”

In March, Epic Games made headlines after it announced plans to lay off more than 1,000 employees in the face of soaring Fortnite development costs. The company also had another major Disney-related announcement, letting content creators who make custom Fortnite game experiences have access to a trove of Star Wars assets.