Epic has a plan for the rest of the decade.

A little over a year ago, Epic Games reduced its workforce by approximately 16%, citing the scale of its ambitious future projects and the high cost of developing them as the issue. Tim Sweeney, the company's CEO, mentioned in an email to employees that they were spending significantly more than they were earning.

However, during the Unreal Fest conference in Seattle, Sweeney announced that Epic's financial situation is now solid. This announcement marked the beginning of a lengthy two-hour presentation that included updates on Unreal Engine, the Unreal Editor for Fortnite, and the Epic Games Store, among other topics.

In an interview, Sweeney commented that cost containment was key to achieving this new financial status. He recalled that the previous year, the company was spending about one billion dollars more than it was bringing in, whereas now, expenses are barely above revenues. Furthermore, he emphasized that Epic is well-positioned for the future, with a robust reserve of funds that allows for cautious long-term investments.

Epic plans to integrate Unreal Engine and Unreal Editor for Fortnite into a new version that promises to simplify application development. According to Sweeney, "the real power will come from combining these two worlds, merging the power of the high-end game engine with the ease of use achieved in the Unreal Editor for Fortnite." This new development, called Unreal Engine 6, will allow developers to create an application once and deploy it as an independent game across multiple platforms.

One example of this vision is the "persistent" universe that Epic is building in collaboration with Disney, which will enable interoperability between distinct ecosystems, such as Disney's and Fortnite's. Sweeney explained that Unreal Engine 6 will be the technological foundation that makes this feasible for developers of all kinds, from large studios to independent creators.

However, for the interoperable metaverse to become a reality, companies like Epic, Roblox, and Microsoft will need to find effective ways for players to transition between these worlds without barriers. So far, Epic has only maintained similar discussions with Disney.

Sweeney shared his vision that cooperation among companies would facilitate revenue sharing and create incentives for players to acquire digital goods in environments where they feel safe investing their time and money. According to him, player preferences lean towards games where they can interact with their friends, and if an interoperable ecosystem is created, it would enhance consumer trust.

Persson, EVP of Epic, mentioned the possibility of a federated model that allows players to move between Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite, highlighting that players do not have a dogmatic approach to where they play.

Despite everything, Epic faces challenges, especially in the mobile arena. The company has been in legal conflict with Apple and Google over their app store practices, limiting its presence in the mobile market. Meanwhile, although Fortnite remains very popular, interest in the notion of the metaverse seems to be waning. Sweeney noted that perceptions of the metaverse can vary over time, depending on who is promoting it.