The world of interactive entertainment is often marked by moments of greatness in time, and for Epic Games‘ worldwide sensation, Fortnite, that moment came via a humble phone call. What started out as good half an hour’s worth of conversation was expanded into a five-hour fight before finally convincing then-Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard to ultimately adopt an idea he had once rejected: cross-IP collaborations. This report, just detailed by The Game Business, reveals the high level of influence one session with Hollywood film directors Joe and Anthony Russo, creators of Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, has had.
Before that ill-fated speech, Epic Games was adamant against incorporating outside characters into their battle royale game. That stance was successfully challenged by the Russo brothers and Pete Wanat, AGBO president of interactive technology, who campaigned to bring in Thanos. The long debate ultimately became the clincher, convincing Mustard and paving the way for the legendary Marvel villain to be the game’s first grand crossover.
This first foray established a precedent that forever changed the trajectory of Fortnite. From Star Wars and Dragon Ball Z to more recent news of a Simpsons-themed mini-season and upcoming confirmed integrations of Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and King of the Hill on June 13, the game is now a rich hub for multiple franchises. The transition is so thorough that it’s hard to envision Fortnite existing without its massive library of co-op content. The choice made out of that single phone call not only recontextualized Epic Games’ flagship franchise but likely helped drive a larger industry shift towards cross-media convergence in video games. Donald Mustard’s following decision to join the Russo brothers at AGBO then becomes further ensnared in the story of this moment of pivotal importance with continued formation of these creative alliances.
