Epic Games will allegedly release an Arc Raiders-like shooter later this year.
As reported by Bloomberg (thanks, Game File), the Fortnite maker is working with Disney to develop a “shooting game along the lines of Embark Studios’ hit Arc Raiders, but with Disney characters battling enemies until they can reach an extraction point”.
Bloomberg claims that sources close to the development believe the gameplay mechanics lack originality, but “some of the employees are optimistic that Epic will get it right by the launch date”.
The Walt Disney Company acquired a $1.5bn USD stake in Epic Games back in 2024, launching a multi-year partnership to create an “expansive and open games and entertainment universe connected to Fortnite”. Explicit mention was made of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and Avatar, with users able to “create their own stories and experiences, express their fandom in a distinctly Disney way, and share content with each other in ways that they love”.
Bloomberg adds that it’s thought this Disney deal will result in “at least” two more games, although the second game has had “middling” early internal reviews. The team working on a third game were reportedly reallocated to speed up production, although Epic’s senior director of global communications, Liz Markham, disputed Bloomberg’s reporting, claiming it is “not reflective of the ambitions of the Disney collaboration. We are building a new games and entertainment universe of Disney experiences”.
“Epic’s timelines are aggressive and always have been. We’ve heavily moved developers onto projects with releases approaching, while smaller prototyping teams are working on further-off projects,” Markham added.
A Disney spokesperson said: “We remain focused on our long-term collaboration with Epic which continues to have strong momentum, and our work to build a transformational games and entertainment universe remains unchanged”.
On 24th March, Fortnite developer Epic Games announced mass layoffs that affected over 1,000 workers, including key veterans behind the hit online game. A few days later, it was revealed that Mike Prinke, a programmer with seven years of experience a the company, was among the cuts. Sweeney has since confirmed Epic is in contact with the family and will handle the insurance for them.