Disney and Epic Games are yet again expanding the experiences under their strategic partnership, and this time, it centers on theme park attractions and video games, connecting a real-life "Star Wars" ride to an entirely new "Fortnite" experience.
The tie-in marks the first time riding a physical Disney attraction can directly unlock something players carry back into "Fortnite."
'Fortnite's' New In-Game Rewards Come From a Disney Ride
Disney Games and Digital Entertainment, working alongside Lucasfilm and Imagineering, built a new co-op "Fortnite" island called "Smugglers Gambit," launching August 16 alongside the connected park experience.
"The seamless link between Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Smugglers Gambit ... (is) a groundbreaking example of how stories can flow across screens, theme park rides and games," said James Waugh, Senior Vice President, Franchise Story & Creative Strategy, Lucasfilm.
Set around Mersa Veta Station on the planet Ord Ryla, the island sends players on quests for Hondo Ohnaka as they work toward becoming one of the Outer Rim's most notorious smugglers, battling pirates, Imperial remnants, and dangerous wildlife along the way.
"Building on Epic's technology, Disney's Imagineers are shaping the future of interactive entertainment, where an experience goes from the physical world into Fortnite," said Epic Games President Adam Sussman.
Disney regards the new experience as an "early example" of connecting the iconic digital experiences on "Fortnite" to the real, physical world that is now available via a Disney ride.
Disney Park's Millennium Falcon Ride Brings 'Fortnite' Tie-In
The physical side of the experience runs through Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, the ride inside Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at both Disneyland Park in Anaheim and Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando.
Guests visiting either park can accept a special mission from Hondo Ohnaka before boarding the attraction, then carry their in-ride performance directly into the "Fortnite" island afterward.
According to Epic Games, a rider's score on the actual attraction converts into usable credits inside Smugglers Gambit, which can then be spent unlocking gear and leveling up within the island.
The experience is included at no additional cost with standard park admission, and "Fortnite" itself remains free to play across PC, console, and mobile.
How to Redeem Your Reward In-Game
To take part, guests need to accept Hondo's special mission through either the Disneyland app or the My Disney Experience app before boarding Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, allowing the ride to detect their participation.
Once the ride finishes, eligible players who have linked their MyDisney account with an Epic Games account will automatically receive the Forsworn Trooper Outfit back in "Fortnite."
Guests who ride but haven't linked their accounts, or aren't eligible to do so, will instead receive a redeemable code by email that can be entered directly in "Fortnite" to claim the same reward.
Disney has also noted that anyone under 18 should get a parent's permission before linking any accounts.
Beyond the Forsworn Trooper Outfit itself, any "Fortnite" player, regardless of whether they've visited a Disney park, can also earn a separate item called The Gambit 2D Loading Screen simply by completing a quest within the Smugglers Gambit island.
