Epic Games has announced a crossover between Fortnite and the cooperative space-mining hit Deep Rock Galactic (DRG). Fans are welcoming new cosmetic partnerships where Fortnite is helping indie and mid-tier titles, helping them to break ground in the mainstream gaming ecosystem.
For years, Fortnite’s crossover strategy has focused on leveraging massive, household names like Marvel, DC, and Star Wars to attract players. Partnering with a cult classic like DRG demonstrates Epic’s growing confidence in the “metaverse” concept, where the value lies not just in promoting blockbuster franchises but in creating a broad, eclectic library of popular intellectual properties (IP).
For a game like DRG, with its dedicated but comparatively smaller community, a Fortnite crossover is a classic opportunity for brand exposure and player acquisition. This could encourage other indie developers to pursue partnerships with Epic, further diversifying the Fortnite ecosystem.
Moreover, Deep Rock Galactic is known for its wholesome co-op gameplay and famously positive community. This partnership allows Fortnite to associate itself with that goodwill, potentially offsetting recent negative sentiment that Epic’s collaborations prioritize marketing over gameplay.
Not to mention, Ghost Ship Games gets to expand its reach to Fortnite’s hundreds of millions of players just ahead of the release of its spin-off, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor. The collab will provide invaluable, low-cost marketing for their new title.
If the DRG crossover performs well in terms of engagement and cosmetic sales, it could pave the way for more partnerships between massive live-service games and smaller, beloved IP. Fortnite’s significant shift away from relying solely on blockbuster movies and TV shows for crossover events will help expand the game’s base users getting much-needed exposure to budget games.