Epic Games is teaming up with The Lego Group to build an immersive, creatively inspiring and engaging digital experience for kids of all ages to enjoy together.
The family-friendly digital experience will give kids access to tools that will empower them to become confident creators and deliver amazing play opportunities in a safe and positive space.
This new metaverse is designed with children’s safety in mind first and foremost. The companies say they have agreed to three principles that drive the project:
- Protect children’s right to play by making safety and wellbeing a priority.
- Safeguard children’s privacy by putting their best interests first.
- Empower children and adults with tools that give them control over their digital experience.
Niels B Christiansen, CEO of The LEGO Group said:
“Kids enjoy playing in digital and physical worlds and move seamlessly between the two. We believe there is huge potential for them to develop life-long skills such as creativity, collaboration and communication through digital experiences. But we have a responsibility to make them safe, inspiring and beneficial for all.
Just as we’ve protected children’s rights to safe physical play for generations, we are committed to doing the same for digital play. We look forward to working with Epic Games to shape this exciting and playful future.”
While the project does not have any specifically announced products or timeline for release, it’s easy to see how Epic and Lego’s past projects — and those of likely competitors Roblox and Minecraft — will inform the new kid-friendly metaverse.
Epic Games has expertise in building creative tools and immersive worlds that are open and accessible to players and developers everywhere. It is at the forefront of popular culture, creating experiences that connect people through gaming, music and creative collaboration.
Epic is also committed to enabling developers to create age-appropriate experiences online and in 2020 acquired SuperAwesome, a company that has pioneered technology designed to deliver safe digital engagement with children under 16.
For 90 years the LEGO Group has inspired generations of children through play through the endless creative possibilities of the LEGO brick, which remains the core of its business. The company is a leader in defining safe digital play experiences for children including the development of an industry-standard Digital Child Safety Policy with UNICEF and the 2016 launch of the first fully live moderated social app for children.
Tim Sweeney, CEO & Founder, Epic Games said:
“The LEGO Group has captivated the imagination of children and adults through creative play for nearly a century, and we are excited to come together to build a space in the metaverse that’s fun, entertaining, and made for kids and families.”
Epic and Lego have one other thing in common: licenses. Fortnite and Lego have deals with some of the world’s biggest brands and most recognizable pop culture characters, including Marvel and DC superheroes and Star Wars.
