Disney denies current takeover talks with Epic Games after $1.5 billion investment

• Walden did confirm that Disney previously held very serious talks about an investment or equity stake in Epic Games.
• Disney and Epic Games already have an existing partnership, with multiple launches planned over the next two years, according to Walden.

What happened

Dana Walden said in an interview with Bloomberg Live that Disney is not “right now” in talks to buy Epic Games. That means she denied that a takeover of the Fortnite maker is currently on the table. The wording matters, because Walden was speaking specifically about the present situation rather than issuing a blanket rejection of every future scenario. Based on the available information, there is no new bid, no formal acquisition process, and no timeline for a possible deal.

Walden added that Disney and Epic Games previously had “very serious conversations” about an investment and an equity stake. That confirms Disney did, at one point, discuss taking a financial interest in Epic. Her comments line up with the existing relationship between the two companies, but also make clear that recent takeover rumors are not being confirmed. The provided sources do not specify when those earlier talks took place or who at Epic was involved.

According to Walden, the Disney-Epic partnership is strong and there are still multiple launches planned over the next two years. The available information does not say exactly what those projects are. What is clear is that Disney and Epic have already publicly established a collaboration around Fortnite and future content. Walden’s comments frame that relationship as an ongoing business partnership with new releases ahead, not as an active buyout negotiation.

Background

Disney announced in early 2024 that it had taken a $1.5 billion stake in Epic Games. Bob Iger described the move as Disney’s biggest-ever entry into gaming. The investment was therefore not just a financial stake, but also a strategic step that positioned Disney more firmly in the games industry. In the available information, that investment is tied to a broader collaboration around Fortnite and future content, although the specific projects are not listed.

Dana Walden’s latest comments are important because they distinguish between an active acquisition and earlier investment talks. Disney now says there are no talks “right now” about buying Epic Games. At the same time, Walden confirms there were previously very serious conversations about an investment and an equity stake. That means rumors of a possible purchase are not being confirmed, but the relationship between the two companies clearly went beyond a one-off collaboration.

The available sources do not indicate that Disney is preparing a formal bid at the moment or that Epic Games has started a sale process. It is also unclear whether the earlier talks ever developed into a concrete proposal for a full acquisition, or whether they were limited to a minority stake. What is clear is that Disney and Epic already have a business relationship, and that Walden is talking about multiple planned launches over the next two years. The core of the story is therefore the difference between current denial and historical interest: no takeover talks now, but earlier serious discussions about an investment in Epic Games.

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Sources

• IGN: Disney says conversations about buying Epic Games are not happening right now
• Bloomberg Live (video interview with Dana Walden)
• The Town with Matt Belloni (video context on Disney’s earlier investment in Epic)