JAKARTA - Epic Games has just received funding from Sony and Krikbi that will help it build its metaverse and support its continued growth.
Each of the two companies invested US$1 billion, equivalent to Rp. 14.3 trillion, into Epic Games. The funding puts Epic's post-money equity valuation at $31.5 billion.
However, Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney will remain in control of the company. Now, Epic Games will aim to build a metaverse that will focus on reaching younger kids with that funding.
“As we reimagine the future of entertainment and gaming, we need partners who share our vision. We have discovered this in our partnerships with Sony and Kirkbi," Sweeney said in a statement.
"This investment will accelerate our work to build a metaverse and create a space where players can have fun with friends, brands can build creative and immersive experiences, and content creators can build communities and thrive."
Launching Engadget, Tuesday, April 12, this is not the first time Sony has invested in Epic Games. In 2020, Sony injected US$250 million equivalent to Rp3.5 trillion in exchange for a minority stake.
Likewise with Kirkbi, who also has a close relationship with Epic Games. Just last week, the majority stakeholder in The Lego Group announced its partnership to build a kid-friendly metaverse, perhaps in hopes of challenging games like Minecraft and Roblox.
"As a creative entertainment company, we are excited to invest in Epic to deepen our relationship in the metaverse, a space where creators and users share their time," said Kenichiro Yoshida, chairman, president and CEO of Sony Group Corporation.
"We also believe that Epic's expertise, including their powerful game engine, combined with Sony's technology will accelerate our efforts such as the development of new digital fan experiences in sports and our virtual production initiatives."
For your information, Epic Games has indeed been uniting the metaverse (a shared virtual world for all kinds of experiences) within Fortnite for the past few years.
The Metaverse builds on the success of the core battle royale mode by introducing dozens of crossover skins, virtual items, and dance moves such as in-game movie nights and concerts as well as a creative mode that lets the game build anything they can imagine.
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