Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite and other notable video games, is making a fresh acquisition. It is buying U.K.-based peer Tonic Games Group, which owns the studios Mediatonic and Fortitude Games, for an undisclosed sum, both companies said in separate announcements on Tuesday.
Epic said that owning the British company will, almost literally, help it create a new world. "It's no secret that Epic is invested in building the metaverse and Tonic Games shares this goal," Epic CEO Tim Sweeney was quoted as saying.
"As Epic works to build this virtual future, we need great creative talent who know how to build powerful games, content and experiences," he added.
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In the video game world, Mediatonic is arguably best known for its hit Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, a colorful, massively multiplayer battle-royale game in which small characters compete to finish an obstacle course. Released last August, it is currently available in Windows 10 and Sony PlayStation 4 versions. Both Epic and Mediatonic promise that Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Xbox versions are coming soon.
Epic is an eager acquirer of complementary assets; recent buys include RAD Game Tools, a maker of development-assisting solutions, in January, and the key tech assets of facial animation specialist Hyprsense last November.
Recently, Epic is perhaps better known as the company that last year became locked in a series of legal disputes with Apple (AAPL 0.16%) over the fees the latter charges developers for including their titles on the Apple App Store. The fight between Epic and Apple has escalated and spilled over into 2021, with lawsuits pending in several jurisdictions.
