Epic Games and Disney Are Working on an Extraction Shooter with Disney Icons

Beyond Fortnite: Epic and Disney Want More

We've known since 2024 that Epic Games and Disney signed a massive strategic partnership — $1.5 billion injected by the entertainment giant, a deep integration of the Disney universe into Fortnite, and a vague promise to "build a persistent universe together." What we didn't know was that behind the marketing statements were concrete, well-developed projects — some of which have nothing to do with Epic's battle royale.

According to Polygon, citing sources close to the matter, Epic and Disney are simultaneously working on three separate games. The most surprising of them: an extraction shooter featuring characters from Disney franchises. A genre that's been gaining serious momentum since the success of Escape from Tarkov, with Arc Raiders emerging as the segment's new benchmark.

No official title, no date, no confirmed platform at this stage. But if the information checks out, it radically changes the picture of what the two companies intend to do with their alliance.

A Disney Extraction Shooter — Seriously?

The idea might make you smirk — or wince. An extraction shooter is a game where teams of players infiltrate hostile zones, loot gear, eliminate opponents, and try to exfiltrate alive. It's a demanding, often brutal genre that runs on tension and constant risk. Grafting it onto Disney IP — Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, classic animation — is a bold editorial bet.

But it would also be a mistake to underestimate Disney's ability to adapt its licenses to unexpected formats. Marvel's Midnight Suns surprised with its deckbuilding and tactical RPG hybrid. Star Wars Outlaws took a shot at open world. Disney isn't afraid to push its characters out of their comfort zone anymore.

And then there's Arc Raiders — developed by Embark Studios, the team behind THE FINALS — arriving as a serious contender in this space in 2025. Positioning against it with the firepower of Disney IP is a strategy that makes sense on paper. The question, as always, is execution.

Three Games, an Empire Strategy

The extraction shooter is just one piece of the puzzle. Polygon mentions two other projects without specifying their nature. What's taking shape is a clear intent from Epic and Disney to diversify their shared presence beyond Fortnite, which remains the foundation but can't carry everything on its own.

Epic, for its part, needs new growth engines after years of near-total revenue dependence on Fortnite. Disney, meanwhile, is looking to establish a lasting foothold in interactive gaming — a sector where it remains structurally behind given its cultural weight. The alliance between the two follows simple logic: Epic has the tech and the distribution, Disney has the licenses and the global audience.

What this information also confirms is that Epic is very much in the process of transforming itself into a multi-project publisher, not just the manager of a Fortnite ecosystem. The Unreal Engine, the Epic Games Store, and now a distinct editorial slate with one of the industry's most powerful partners.

What We're Waiting For — and What Could Go Wrong

Let's stay clear-eyed about this. A Disney extraction shooter could be brilliant or a disaster depending on the artistic direction, the gameplay balance, and above all the monetization model. This genre lives and dies by its community — and an extraction shooter community is not the same as Fortnite's. It's more demanding, less tolerant of compromises, and allergic to pay-to-win.

If Disney pushes its usual instincts — aggressive monetization, content locked behind battle passes, iconic characters reserved for big spenders — the project could fall into the same traps that have sunk other attempts to graft mainstream IP onto hardcore genres.

On the flip side, if Epic manages to maintain a strong creative direction with a solid gameplay vision before layering Disney licenses on top, there's real potential for something genuinely interesting. We're waiting for official confirmation. And we're waiting with a skeptical eye — but a curious one.