Epic Games and Disney Are Cooking Up a Disney-Themed Extraction Shooter

Beyond Fortnite: Epic and Disney Want to Go Bigger

Since 2024, we've known that Epic Games and Disney signed a massive strategic partnership — $1.5 billion injected by the entertainment giant, 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 spin lay concrete, well-advanced 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 distinct games. The most surprising: an extraction shooter featuring characters from Disney franchises. A genre that's been gaining steam since Escape from Tarkov's success and Arc Raiders' emergence as the new segment standard.

No official title, no release date, no confirmed platform yet. But if confirmed, this information drastically changes the picture of what these two companies are planning to do with their alliance.

A Disney Extraction Shooter: Really?

The idea might raise eyebrows — or eyebrows in a different way. An extraction shooter is a game where player teams infiltrate hostile zones, grab loot, eliminate opponents, and try to exfil alive. It's a demanding genre, often brutal, built on tension and constant risk. Grafting that onto Disney IP — Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, animation classics — that's a bold editorial bet.

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

Plus, Arc Raiders — developed by Embark Studios, the studio behind THE FINALS — is arriving precisely as serious competition in this segment in 2025. Positioning against it with the firepower of Disney IP makes strategic sense on paper. The question, as always, is execution.

Three Games, One Empire Strategy

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

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

This information also confirms that Epic is genuinely transforming into a multi-project publisher, not just a Fortnite ecosystem manager. Unreal Engine, the Epic Games Store, and now a dedicated editorial line with one of the industry's most powerful partners.

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

Let's be real. A Disney extraction shooter could be brilliant or a disaster depending on the art direction chosen, gameplay balance, and especially the monetization model. This genre lives or dies by its community — and an extraction shooter community isn't the same as Fortnite's. It's more demanding, less tolerant of compromises, allergic to pay-to-win.

If Disney leans on 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.

Conversely, if Epic manages to keep a strong gameplay vision, with solid design fundamentals before slapping Disney licenses on top, there's real potential here. We're waiting for official confirmations. And we're waiting with a skeptical eye, but a curious one.