After thirteen games, countless merchandise and spin-off media, and one convoluted timeline, Kingdom Hearts achieved something that even other AAA releases could only dream of. And that’s becoming a billion-dollar gaming franchise. Sean Shoptaw, Disney’s EVP of Global Games and Digital Entertainment, confirmed in a press release that Sora, Donald, and Goofy have joined the company’s big league, adding that it has built a ‘foundational footprint’ in gaming.
“The way Disney is shaping the future of interactive entertainment through games is really acknowledging that games have become a foundational part of the broader entertainment landscape,” explained Shoptaw, adding that Disney Games Group’s portfolio includes nine games that have grossed over $1 billion in the last 12 years. He didn’t disclose all, but one of them, of course, is Kingdom Hearts, alongside the mobile character-collecting RPG Marvel Strike Force.
That, however, is only scratching the surface of Disney’s gaming push. Other casual mobile games like Disney Solitaire, Disney Tsum Tsum, and Disney Magic Kingdoms have reached over 1 billion installs since 2014. “Disney is also building new franchises through gaming, including Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and the highly anticipated Marvel’s Wolverine, which arrives in September,” he added.
Apparently, Disney Games has been pulling in an estimated $3.5 billion of players’ spending every year for the past four years, and just crossed over $4 billion recently. It’s getting pretty close to what its sports brand, ESPN, is pulling in per quarter. It also believes that gaming is where the younger generations are hanging out. Using Marvel Rivals as an example, the competitive shooter has so far attracted 40 million players mostly under 24, collecting 4.4 million Discord server members, and generating more than 285 million hours of Twitch views in 2025. “These are platforms where Gen Z [and] Gen Alpha primarily are spending a lot of their time, hanging out with their friends,” said Shoptaw.
Shoptaw also highlighted Disney’s partnership with Epic Games. Since 2024, the two companies have been working on some sort of metaverse expansion for Fortnite — described as a ‘persistent entertainment universe that blends gaming, storytelling, and creator expression.’ This doesn’t come out of nowhere since Disney has collaborated extensively with Fortnite, lending popular Marvel heroes, Star Wars fighters, and other iconic characters for massive in-game events for the last seven years.
“What Epic has built with Fortnite has really created one of the most important social entertainment platforms in the world, and certainly for us, we see a ton of opportunity to bring our great characters, stories, and worlds into that universe and build something truly unique to Disney,” closed Shoptaw.
Would Disney’s newfound appreciation for gaming mean giving Square Enix the green light for more games (and God forbid, more spin-offs) after Kingdom Hearts 4? Only time will tell. For more gaming and industry news, keep an eye on GameObserver.
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