Disney Locks D23 Livestream Access Behind Fortnite in Unprecedented Move

Disney has unveiled a new collaboration with Fortnite as part of the company’s upcoming D23 event.

Fans of The Walt Disney Company have been eagerly anticipating August, as the month marks the start of Disney’s D23 event. Officially titled “D23: The Ultimate Fan Event,” Disney’s annual expo is one of the most exciting times of the year.

Previous D23s have seen Disney make major announcements regarding its theme park and entertainment divisions, with several large-scale expansions on the way for both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts. During Disney’s D23 event last year, the company reiterated its plans to transform DinoLand U.S.A., an area located inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as well as expand upon Frontierland at Magic Kingdom.

Plenty of projects were announced for the Disneyland Resort in California as well, with the West Coast resort set to receive its own land based on James Cameron’s Avatar franchise.

However, Disney is set to make history with its parks panel this year, revealing that parts of the event will be live-streamed exclusively in Fortnite.

Disney Announces Exclusive D23 Fortnite Livestream

Promotional image for a Disney and Fortnite Revelations event at D23, featuring a plush toy dressed as a superhero with claws and a yellow and blue costume. The event is on Saturday, August 10th, with doors opening at 10:30 PM ET. Can't attend in person? Catch the Livestream starting at 11:30 PM ET! — Credit: Disney, Epic Games

Celebrate the magic of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event,” says Disney regarding the livestream. “Jump into Disney Horizons Live from D23 on August 10 to catch new Fortnite reveals presented live by Josh D’Amaro and a few special guests.”

Disney Horizons Live from D23 will become available starting on August 10 at 7:30 p.m. PT / 10:30 p.m. ET. The stream will start at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Players will be able to join the island from the Homebar in Discover or by using island code 7908-6413-2516.

This announcement follows news that Disney would not be making the Horizons Parks panel livestream available to the public, a noticeable shift compared to previous D23 events.

D23: The Ultimate Fan Event begins August 9 and runs through August 11, 2024.

Fortnite is a massively popular battle royal game developed by Epic Games. Originally released in 2017, Fortnite has effectively taken over the video game industry, becoming one of the world’s most popular and idolized products on the market, all the while being completely free to play for everyone.

Instead of charging players for the base game, Fortnite offers fans a wide range of cosmetic items they can purchase for real-world money. Every season (about 10 weeks), Fortnite introduces new items, characters, and locations for players to explore, with each new update anchored by certain iconic characters from film, TV, and pop culture.

Fortnite’s current seasonal update introduced Deadpool and Wolverine to celebrate the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe of the same name, as well as Magneto, the popular villain from Marvel’s X-Men.

Disney announces new collaboration with Fortnite. — Credit: ITM

While somewhat unexpected, this new livestream is not entirely surprising, with The Walt Disney Company making a massive investment in Fortnite. During Disney’s Q1 2024 earnings report earlier this year, CEO Bob Iger announced that the company would partner with Epic Games for a massive, unprecedented Fortnite expansion.

Disney took a minority stake in Epic Games, investing a whopping $1.5 billion in the company. Fortnite already features several collaborations with Disney, but the game will likely change in major ways soon, with several announcements seemingly primed for D23.

“Our exciting new relationship with Epic Games will bring together Disney’s beloved brands and franchises with the hugely popular Fortnite in a transformational new games and entertainment universe,” stated Bob Iger.

“This marks Disney’s biggest entry ever into the world of games and offers significant opportunities for growth and expansion. We can’t wait for fans to experience the Disney stories and worlds they love in groundbreaking new ways.”

Do you play Fortnite? Will you be watching this live stream?