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Epic Games acquires Tonic Games, maker of Fall Guys

The studio behind Fortnite and Rocket League is adding Fall Guys to the roster, with plans to continue developing the game for multiple platforms.

Ry Crist Senior Editor / Reviews - Labs
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
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Players in Fall Guys compete in a series of wacky elimination challenges till only one's left standing.

 Tonic Games Group

Epic Games has acquired Tonic Games Group, the development studio behind the 2020 battle royale hit Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, the company said in a blog post Tuesday.

"It's no secret that Epic is invested in building the metaverse, and Tonic Games shares this goal," said Tim Sweeney, Epic Games founder and CEO. "As Epic works to build this virtual future, we need great creative talent who know how to build powerful games, content and experiences."

Epic, which already owns multiplayer hits like Fortnite, Gears of War and Rocket League, adds that it plans to continue investing in Fall Guys, as well, and that players shouldn't expect any changes to the gameplay experience as a result of the acquisition.

"Your favorite colorful beans will still stumble through the chaos on PC, PlayStation, and soon Nintendo Switch and Xbox," the Epic blog reads. Given Epic's standoff with Apple over platform fees in 2020, it'll be interesting to see whether the future of Fall Guys includes new mobile releases as well.

For Tonic's part, the company tweeted that it's pleased to join the Epic Games family, with company co-founder Dave Bailey saying Tonic felt right at home with Epic.

"They share our mission to build and support games that have a positive impact, empower others and stand the test of time," Bailey said. "We couldn't be more excited to be joining forces with their team."

Fall Guys fans with questions about the acquisition can find more from Tonic in an FAQ.