Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney Calls Out ‘BS’ Report on Fortnite’s Disney Mode Delays

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is firing back at claims that Fortnite’s much-anticipated Disney collaboration is being stymied by Disney’s slow-moving corporate machinery. In a fiery social media post, Tim Sweeney dismissed a recent Wall Street Journal report as “BS,” defending Disney’s pace of collaboration and calling the media narrative “flat-out wrong.”

The Wall Street Journal article alleged internal frustrations at Epic Games, claiming that Disney’s decision-making process—bogged down by multiple layers of approvals—was delaying the launch of Fortnite’s Disney-themed virtual world. The report suggested that the mysterious Disney mode, announced after Disney’s $1.5 billion investment in Epic last year, wouldn’t see the light of day until late 2026.

Tim Sweeney wasn’t having it.

“The anonymous quote is BS,” Tim Sweeney posted. “The speed of Disney and Epic collaborations like Darth Vader has been awesome and is around 10x the ordinary speed of media company dealings in this business. We even provided a statement to the writer of this article saying so, but they chose not to print it.”

While details about Fortnite’s Disney mode remain under wraps, concept art has teased a massive Disneyland-inspired hub with themed zones dedicated to Disney’s various properties—from Pixar to Marvel to Star Wars. The exact gameplay mechanics remain a mystery, but insiders suggest it will blend user-generated content with immersive Disney experiences, creating a metaverse-like expansion of the Fortnite universe.

The WSJ report mentioned that Disney Parks chief Josh D’Amaro is personally overseeing the project and has even hiked with Sweeney to discuss creative vision. However, concerns reportedly exist over legal complexities surrounding fan-created content, especially dances and animations featuring Disney characters.

Fortnite Star Wars has now concluded in epic goodness!

This isn’t the first time Epic and Disney have pushed boundaries together. Previous Fortnite seasons have seen characters from Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar become playable skins. The companies even experimented with an AI-powered Darth Vader that could converse with players using generative speech. While that experiment had its hiccups—players quickly taught Vader to say things Disney wouldn’t approve of—it ultimately became a viral success, with over 10 million interactions recorded.

Fortnite, meanwhile, continues its relentless content rollout. This week, the battle royale island is being overrun by mutant bugs, while iconic characters from the Halo franchise join the fray. In Fortnite OG mode, players are revisiting fan-favorite Season 5 with a twist, as Epic promises a fresh storyline surrounding Kevin the Cube.

Command a Star Destroyer in the latest update of Fortnite Chapter 6 MS1

Despite media skepticism, Epic Games seems confident that its partnership with Disney is on track and moving faster than industry norms. Sweeney’s public rebuttal also reflects Epic’s pushback against what it sees as sensationalist reporting designed to stir unnecessary drama.

For Fortnite players and Disney fans, the message is clear: the Disney mode is coming—and when it does, Epic intends to prove the doubters wrong.