Epic Games Pins ‘Fortnite’ Comeback on Disney Partnership
Recent updates of the hit game have flopped. A Disney collaboration aims to turn things around.
The closely held company launched an international sensation in 2017 when it published Fortnite, a shooting game where 100 contestants could compete at once in battle royale mode.
Photographer: Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images
When Epic Games laid off 1,000 employees as part of a $500 million cost-saving effort last month, it came with a startling acknowledgment: Many new games and Fortnite updates had flopped.
On April 16, the company will shut down Fortnite Ballistic mode, a faster-paced take on the popular shooting title, and Fortnite Festival Battle Stage, which added a musical component. Rocket Racing, where players compete in rocket-power cars, will go offline in October.