"Let's Grow the Metaverse" Sony and Lego Invest 2.5 Trillion Won in Epic Games

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Japanese Sony Group, maker of the PlayStation console, and the global toy company LEGO have invested $2 billion (approximately 2.5 trillion KRW) in the American game company Epic Games.

According to CNBC and other sources on the 11th (local time), Epic Games announced that it raised a total of $2 billion, with $1 billion each from Sony and Kirkbi, the parent company of LEGO. They added that this funding valued Epic Games at $31.5 billion.

This investment was made as part of Sony and Kirkbi's efforts to strengthen their partnership in the metaverse business, a three-dimensional virtual world. Epic Games, a leading American game company that developed the popular shooting game "Fortnite," is recognized as one of the major online platforms providing metaverse experiences.

In a statement, Epic Games said, "We aim to create new social entertainment exploring the connection between the digital and physical worlds," adding that this funding will help accelerate the work to build the metaverse.

Soren Thorup Sorensen, CEO of Kirkbi, said, "We focus part of our investment on areas that we and our children believe will impact the future world we live in," and added, "We are pleased to make an investment that accelerates engagement in the world of digital games and supports Epic Games' long-term growth toward the future metaverse."