Unity Software(US:U) 3 6 Ke·2025-11-21 00:11Core Insights - Unity and Epic Games have announced a collaboration aimed at promoting an open and interoperable future in the gaming industry, marking a surprising shift from competition to cooperation [1] - The collaboration allows developers to publish their Unity games on Epic Games' "Fortnite," which boasts over 500 million registered accounts, and participate in its creator economy [1][4] - Unity will integrate Unreal Engine support into its cross-platform commercial system, providing more options for developers using Unreal Engine [1][10] Collaboration Details - The partnership focuses on two main areas: enabling Unity developers to publish games on "Fortnite" and integrating Unreal Engine support into Unity's commercial system [1][10] - Specific details of the collaboration will be revealed in the coming year [1] - This collaboration does not involve direct engine technology cooperation but aims to enhance the ecosystem for light developers and core users [1][4] Economic Context - The acquisition of Cocos for $5.1 billion highlights the challenges of commercializing game engines, as ongoing investment in technology teams is crucial [2] - "Fortnite" serves as a significant revenue source for Epic Games, supporting its investments and acquisitions [2] User-Generated Content (UGC) Focus - Epic Games is positioning itself as a UGC game development platform to expand its creator ecosystem [4] - The success of UGC games relies on the ability of teams to efficiently produce content, which is a core competitive advantage [4][7] - In 2024, Epic Games paid creators $352 million for games created in "Fortnite," with a total of over $722 million paid to developers [5][6] Revenue Sharing Model - A new revenue-sharing model allows creators to sell items directly on their islands, initially keeping 100% of sales for one year, then adjusting to 50% [6] - This model aims to attract more creators and enhance the UGC ecosystem [6] Market Positioning - "Fortnite" ranks first in revenue and monthly active users across major markets in the US and Europe as of July 2025 [7] - Over 70,000 users created islands in "Fortnite," accounting for 36.5% of total game time in 2024 [7] Long-term Strategy - The collaboration allows Unity to tap into the revenue potential of "Fortnite," while Epic Games benefits from a broader creator base [8] - Unity's recent launch of a cross-platform business service addresses developers' needs for managing global commerce and catalogs [10] Industry Trends - The increasing importance of cross-platform capabilities in the gaming industry is underscored by this collaboration [11] - Both companies emphasize the need for cooperation to build a fair and open metaverse, focusing on the UGC attributes of their products [11]