Unity (NYSE:U) saw its stock jump 5% on Wednesday after revealing a new collaboration with Epic Games that will allow Unity-built titles to be distributed inside Fortnite and bring Unreal Engine compatibility to Unity’s cross-platform commerce tools.
Under the partnership, developers using Unity’s engine will be able to publish their games directly into Fortnite’s ecosystem, which now has more than 500 million registered accounts worldwide. The move gives Unity creators a way to tap into Fortnite’s vast global audience and earn revenue through the Fortnite Creator Economy.
As part of the initiative, Unity also plans to add support for Epic’s Unreal Engine to its cross-platform commerce solution starting in early 2024. This will offer Unreal developers expanded capabilities for handling digital catalogs, payments, and online storefronts across mobile, PC, and web channels.
“We’re excited to partner with Epic Games to create more opportunities for game developers around the world,” said Matt Bromberg, President and CEO of Unity. “Choice and open systems create growth for everyone in the gaming ecosystem.”
Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney underscored the importance of collaboration, saying, “Just like the early days of the web, we believe that companies need to work together in order to build the open metaverse in a way that’s interoperable and fair.”
The update was delivered during Unity’s annual Unite conference, which hosted more than 1,500 developers. Both Unity and Epic said they plan to share further information about the rollout schedule and feature details sometime next year.
Investors reacted favorably to the announcement, pushing Unity shares higher as the market embraced the potential for broader audience reach and new monetization opportunities through Fortnite’s enormous player base.