Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout was announced at E3 in June 2020, and hype for it would only build until its release two months later. The game's developer, Mediatonic, has been making games since 2005, but the company didn't receive considerate worldwide attention until Fall Guys.
Battle royale games have seen quite a boom in recent years, and that's at least partially due to the competition between Fall Guys and Fortnite. Now, the games are on the same "side."
Epic and Tonic Join Forces
On Tuesday, Fortnite maker Epic Games announced that it had acquired Tonic Games Group, a game developer and publisher based in London. Tonic Games Group is the parent company of Irregular Corporation, Fortitude Games, and most notably, Fall Guys developer Mediatonic.
If you're a Fall Guys fan, no need to panic. The Fall Guys' gameplay isn't being changed at all, and releases for the Nintendo Switch and Xbox are still on the way. Mediatonic say that it'll continue to expand the game every season with new content, features, rounds, and costumes.
Tonic Games Group co-founder and CEO Dave Bailey claims that Epic has the same mission Tonic does: "to build and support games that have a positive image, empower others, and stand the test of time."
The other co-founder (and Tonic's chief games officer), Paul Croft, adds that joining Epic isn't just a matter of having identical goals. He says that Tonic will be able to reach greater heights with Epic's help.
Epic's announcement also included a quote from Epic Games Founder and CEO Tim Sweeney:
“It’s no secret that Epic is invested in building the metaverse and Tonic Games shares this goal. As Epic works to build this virtual future, we need great creative talent who know how to build powerful games, content and experiences.”
What's Next for Epic?
No one could've guessed that after filing an antitrust complaint against Apple in Europe and settling its Loot Llama lawsuit, Epic would buy out one of its biggest competitors. Judging from the replies to Epic's tweet, it seems reactions to the announcement are mixed.
Some players think that this'll lead to improvements to Fall Guys, as the game will likely be backed with more funds and resources (according to Crunchbase, Epic has raised $3.4 billion to date). Others cry in fear that "Fortnite is going to ruin Fall Guys."
Looks like we'll have to wait and see how things pan out. For the meantime, you can check out Mediatonic's FAQ post to learn more about this transition.