Epic Games has acquired Rock Band and Fuser developer Harmonix. The developer says its talents creating rhythm-based video games will now be used to “bring our unique brand of musical gaming experiences to the Metaverse.” Harmonix says that it will now work with Epic Games to “create musical journeys and gameplay for Fortnite.”
It’s unclear how Epic Games and Harmonix will begin to incorporate more music in Fortnite, however, as the studio simply says to “stay tuned.” Games like Fuser as well as DLC for Rock Band will continue as planned, with the studio explaining that little is changing for current fans. All Harmonix games to date will remain purchasable on Steam and console platforms, and all still-running servers for the company’s games will remain online as well.
Since Fortnite took the world by storm a few years ago, Epic has continued forward, more than ever before, as a force to be reckoned with. Harmonix is part of the company’s move to grow, but other past acquisitions – such as Rocket League developer Psyonix and Fall Guys developer Mediatonic – have also helped further posture itself as an industry titan. The company has invested in its indie partners, with the most recent deal being with Eyes Out and Spry Fox. This is all in addition to advancements in Unreal Engine and other technology, with Epic recently even moving into filmmaking with Gilgamesh. Now, with Harmonix under its belt, the Fortnite creator’s future only holds more possibilities.
“Harmonix has always aspired to create the world’s most beloved interactive music experiences, and by joining Epic we will be able to do this at scale,” said Alex Rigopulos, Harmonix co-founder and chairman, in a separate announcement at the Epic Games website. “Together we will push the creative boundaries of what’s possible and invent new ways for our players to make, perform and share music.”
