Disney revealed a $1.5 billion stake in Epic Games in early 2024 to develop a connected Fortnite universe featuring characters from Disney’s popular brands, including Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Avatar.

Epic’s Saxs Persson previously shared insights about the initiative:

Disney envisions a unified space where its properties can coexist while integrating into Fortnite’s framework. The goal is seamless interaction between platforms—letting players transition between Disney-themed content, Fortnite battles, or other ecosystems effortlessly. Interconnected worlds define the experience.

Recent claims from the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed Epic employees, suggest internal friction over the project’s pace. The article alleges Disney’s multi-departmental approval process, tied to the initiative codenamed “Bulldog,” has caused delays.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney disputed these assertions on social media, stating:

The anonymous complaints are untrue. Our collaborations with Disney, like the recent Darth Vader integration, have progressed 10x faster than typical media partnerships. We communicated this to the reporter, but they omitted our response.

Notably, Sweeney didn’t address the article’s mention of a potential Fall 2026 launch timeline for the Disney-Fortnite crossover.