Epic Games has raised a $2 billion round of funding to “advance the company’s vision to build the metaverse and support its continued growth,” the company announced today.
Both the Sony Group Corporation and KIRKBI, the investment company behind Lego, have each invested $1 billion individually into Epic, which still remains controlled by the company’s outspoken CEO, Tim Sweeney. The company’s post-money equity valuation is now $31.5 billion, according to Epic.
Sweeney said in the official statement that the partnership with and investment from Sony and KIRKBI will “accelerate [Epic’s] work to build the metaverse.” Sony has previously invested in Epic, including a $250 million investment in July 2020. Epic has raised over $5 billion in funding across 11 rounds of funding from 35 different investors, according to Crunchbase.
The metaverse, the concept of a three-dimensional internet space, has been talked about at length by various gaming and tech giants over the past couple years, particularly by the likes of Facebook (now Meta) and Epic. In the announcement today, Sweeney said he wants to “create spaces where players can have fun with friends, brands can build creative and immersive experiences and creators can build a community and thrive.”
Just a few days before this announcement, Epic and Lego announced a partnership to create a virtual experience for children in the metaverse.
