One of the most popular live-service multiplayer hits of 2020 is joining forces with Fortnite developer Epic Games. Epic announced today that it has acquired Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout studio Mediatonic.
Epic and Mediatonic did not confirm the details of their deal. But the two companies did say that the game won’t change for existing players on PC or PlayStation or soon on Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
“At Tonic Games Group we often say that ‘everyone deserves a game that feels like it was made for them.’ With Epic, we feel like we have found a home that was made for us,” Tonic Games Group chief executive Dave Bailey said. “They share our mission to build and support games that have a positive impact, empower others and stand the test of time, and we couldn’t be more excited to be joining forces with their team.”
The potential for a partnership between Mediatonic and Epic is obvious. Thanks to Fortnite, Epic has mountains of cash that it can spend to build content and partnerships. And Fall Guys is an ideal platform for Fortnite-style events.
Tonic Games Group chief games officer Paul Croft acknowledges that opportunity to grow with Epic.
“Beyond the shared vision among our teams, we see tremendous potential in combining forces with Epic,” said Croft. “Whether it’s about making our own games the best they can be or empowering other game developers to take their content from a kernel of an idea to commercial success, we know that together we will be able to reach greater heights.”
Epic expands its live-service gaming empire
For Epic, the Mediatonic deal fits into its strategy to dominate gaming. Fortnite is an ongoing hit that is constantly bringing in new players and bringing back existing fans to spend money. The company values this business model, which led Epic to acquire Rocket League dev Psyonix. Now, it is doing the same with Mediatonic and Fall Guys.
Epic chief executive officer Tim Sweeney says this is part of his company’s quest to create an online world for players to express themselves and play together.
“It’s no secret that Epic is invested in building the metaverse, and Tonic Games shares this goal,” said Sweeney. “As Epic works to build this virtual future, we need great creative talent who know how to build powerful games, content and experiences.”
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