Epic Games is buying the maker of ‘Fall Guys,’ fueling its metaverse ambitions
Epic Games, the Cary-based maker of the “Fortnite” video game, is adding another hugely successful video game to its roster.
Epic said Tuesday it is buying Tonic Games Group, the studio behind the popular “Fall Guys” game, for an undisclosed amount of money.
It’s another sign that Epic, which has raised billions of dollars from investors, is being more aggressive in acquiring other competitors and companies.
Epic already has bought the companies behind the video game “Rocket League” and the makers of the Houseparty social media app.
In a release, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said buying Tonic Games Group would aid his company’s quest to build a metaverse, a virtual ecosystem where people can gather in real time for shared experiences.
Already, people use “Fortnite” for interactions beyond video games, like gathering for virtual concerts and movie showings. The purchase of the Houseparty app was pitched as a way to make “Fortnite” even more social than it already is.
“It’s no secret that Epic is invested in building the metaverse and Tonic Games shares this goal,” Sweeney said in a statement. “As Epic works to build this virtual future, we need great creative talent who know how to build powerful games, content and experiences.”
“Fall Guys” was one of the most popular video games in 2020, and like “Fortnite,” it features cartoonish animation.
Epic said it won’t change any of the gameplay of “Fall Guys,” and promised to continue investing in the game.
“Beyond the shared vision among our teams, we see tremendous potential in combining forces with Epic,” Paul Croft, the co-founder of Tonic Games, said in a statement. “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.”
This story was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. Learn more; go to bit.ly/newsinnovate
