Image: Epic Games
The makers of Fortnite are building a kid-friendly Lego-themed virtual world, Epic Games and Lego announced today.
Why it matters: The project, pitched as a “place for kids to play in the metaverse,” could be a well-funded competitor to Minecraft, Roblox and other virtual worlds.
Details: Epic and Lego didn’t say much about the virtual world they’re building—and avoided calling it a game—but repeatedly emphasized in their announcement that it’ll be safe for children.
- “Just as we’ve protected children’s rights to safe physical play for generations, we are committed to doing the same for digital play,” Lego CEO Niels Christiansen said in the release.
- That emphasis invites a contrast to the popular virtual world Roblox, which also touts its content moderation but regularly draws scrutiny over whether its users are creating content that’s inappropriate for kids.
Between the lines: Lego is no stranger to video games, but has largely found success with licensed games that offer Lego-ified takes on "Star Wars," Marvel super-heroes and "Lord of the Rings."
- More than a decade ago, the independently developed Minecraft essentially beat Lego to the punch by creating a digital playground full of virtual building blocks.
- Lego eventually tried to counter with 2015’s Lego Worlds, but the project failed to catch on.
What's next: No release date, not many details, so simply stay tuned.
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