Fortnite maker Epic Games has scooped together $1bn in funding to help its “long-term vision for the Metaverse”.
A fifth of that – $200m – comes from PlayStation owner Sony, and will apparently cement its already-close relationship with Epic further.
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In a press release, Epic listed more than a dozen non-gaming companies which had collectively pumped in that $1bn. Sony, which frequently gives out free Fortnite cosmetics via PlayStation Plus, got a special mention:
“This round includes an additional $200m strategic investment from Sony Group Corporation,” Epic wrote, “which builds on the already close relationship between the two companies and reinforces their shared mission to advance the state of the art in technology, entertainment, and socially-connected online services.”
Epic said it was now worth $28.7bn, and noted its boss Tim Sweeney remained the controlling shareholder.
“We are grateful to our new and existing investors who support our vision for Epic and the Metaverse,” Sweeney said. “Their investment will help accelerate our work around building connected social experiences in Fortnite, Rocket League and Fall Guys, while empowering game developers and creators with Unreal Engine, Epic Online Services and the Epic Games Store.”