Fortnite’s New Real-World Disney Plans Are Wild and Could Help Revitalize The Game
Fortnite has been a dominant force in the gaming space since it debuted almost a decade ago. However, despite a pretty solid stream of fun updates and exciting tweaks in the last year, the game’s engagement has been dwindling somewhat. The game is overdue for a real shot in the arm to get more attention back on the game in a way that feels natural to the IP-heavy aesthetic of the game.
At D23 2026, Epic Games formally announced a new extension of their collaboration with Disney, which will see them formally tie an exclusive unlockable to a ride at the Disney Parks. It’s a clever way to combine the fandoms and potentially draw in curious new players. More than that, it may just be the blueprint for how Fortnite could use real-life locations to help get some renewed attention on the game.
Fortnite’s Disney Park Tie-In Is A Great Idea
Fortnite’s collaboration with Walt Disney World’s Smuggler’s Run attraction could be the key to saving Fortnite’s future. As reported by GameStop, the initiative will allow Fortnite players to unlock in-game bonuses for doing well on the ride. Found in the Galaxy’s Edge section of Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland’s Magic Kingdom, Smuggler’s Run is an interactive ride where guests fly in the Millennium Falcon and play a game to collect crates of supplies at the behest of the pirate, Hondo. The score that players achieved by taking these crates was previously just bragging rights, but players who connect their Epic Games and MyDisney accounts will receive an exclusive skin for the game.
It’s an interesting collab that’s not too overwhelming, making players feel like they’ve earned it by embarking on a mission and working together on the ride. It’s even naturally tying into the new Fortnite island “Smuggler’s Gambit,” which offers further rewards and opportunities to work with Hondo. It ties in the real-world exploration with the excitement of exploring new game modes and challenges. It’s a clever idea from Disney and Epic, who entered a $1.5 billion partnership in 2024 and have been increasingly leaning into that partnership. Disney movies, trailers, and characters have become more prominent in the game, with plans only ramping up for more collaborations in the future. This move to combine the game on some level with the parks is a clever idea that could really benefit Fortnite, especially given the number of people who visit the parks on a daily basis. Even beyond the Disney World connection, Fortnite could use this idea as a means of leaning more heavily into brand deals going forward.
Fortnite Could Fix Its Fortunes By Leaning Into Real-Life Locations
Gaming goes through peaks and valleys, especially with massive hits that endure against and alongside new competition. That’s no different for games like Fortnite, even despite their massive heights. Fortnite has been a hit for years but may have peaked in 2024, with many sharing fears that the game’s player base may have plateaued even amid massive IP-driven tie-ins like the Kill Bill expansion. This has come alongside Epic Games making serious cuts to the development team amid all of this very driven expansion. Tying in popular real-life locations might be a way to lean into other trends and fandoms in a way that offsets some of that loss.
A big part of the appeal, as always with Fortnite, is that these tie-ins are free to access. If someone has already come to Disney World and is a Fortnite player, why not connect the two? It’s an easy excuse to revisit the game with the new skin and reengage with it. Similar to how a real community grew around mobile games like Pokémon Go, introducing a mobile real-world connection to Fortnite with in-game rewards could introduce players to one another and spur on more gameplay. The broad scale of the Disney Parks and their associated IP could allow for all sorts of similar tie-ins to correspond with new releases. Fortnite could even take this concept to other locations and amusement parks, doing something similar with a wide range of tie-ins to the game.
If the companies really wanted to double down on this collaboration, they could hold tournaments at nearby locations that put emphasis on the synergy of the properties. Even beyond those places, Fortnite tying in their experience to real locations could help give the game a much-needed boost. While it’s still certainly popular, the competition has gotten fiercer over time, and that model of arena shooter simply isn’t drawing in the larger audience that it once did. That’s where tie-ins like this can be useful. It’s a fun way to engage with established players, an easy element to showcase as a draw for new ones, and an excuse to have free advertising within a major tourist attraction. Given the fickle nature of the industry, having a deeper connection to an established space like Disney World could be an ideal expansion for a game that could always use more attention.
