Epic Games is betting its future on Mickey Mouse with a machine gun. According to Bloomberg, Epic is working on an online shooter starring unspecified Disney characters working together to defeat enemies and reach an extraction point, with the mystery project launching in November 2026. This ambitious collaboration emerges from Disney’s $1.5 billion investment into Epic Games back in 2024 and represents the studio’s first major standalone title since Fortnite’s cultural dominance began fading.
The timing couldn’t be more critical for Epic. In March 2026, CEO Tim Sweeney announced layoffs affecting over 1,000 employees, citing declining Fortnite engagement that started in 2025 and left the company spending significantly more than it was making. Player time spent in the game dropped dramatically, with average monthly hours on PlayStation falling from 21 in February 2025 to 16 in February 2026. The Disney extraction shooter arrives as Epic desperately needs a hit to stabilize its future.
The game will compete in an increasingly crowded extraction shooter market dominated by Arc Raiders and Marathon. Internal playtesters report the game’s mechanics aren’t very original, though Epic employees hope everything will be ready before November launch. Epic senior director Liz Marksman stated the Bloomberg reporting isn’t reflective of the Disney collaboration’s ambitions, emphasizing they’re building a new games and entertainment universe.
Can Disney’s iconic characters breathe new life into Epic’s struggling empire, or will this become gaming’s strangest crossover? Share your thoughts below.
