Lego has teamed up with Fortnite developer Epic Games to enter the metaverse market.

The Danish toymaker has unveiled plans to develop a virtual world with the help of Epic Games in which its products will be accessible in digital form within the metaverse. Users will be able to build Lego sets in virtual environments.

In its annual report, Lego stated: “We announced a partnership with Epic Games to explore building a fun and safe metaverse for kids.”

Niels Christiansen, CEO of Lego, said: “We know very well how to immerse consumers in the Lego universe in stores.

“We are working very hard to create this feeling of immersion in the Lego brand universe digitally as well.”

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Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Lego to bring the joy of building and creativity to a wider audience.

“Lego’s timeless brand and commitment to quality are a perfect fit with Epic’s vision for the metaverse and we can’t wait to see what we can create together.”

The Lego metaverse is built using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, which powers some of the world’s most popular video games.

Lego invested $2 billion (£1.7 billion) in Epic Games in April 2021 with the aim of developing a metaverse platform that provides children with safe digital spaces to interact with the brand.

In 2022, Lego saw sales soar as consumers bought larger and more complex sets, generating revenue of £7.7 billion in 2022, up 17% from the previous year.

The company, known for its plastic brick toys, has not neglected the digital sector and has a successful series of Lego computer games for PC and console.

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Christiansen attributed the company’s recent success to its investments in digital gaming experiences.

He told the Financial Times that Lego “does a lot of things on the digital side.”

He added that Lego aims to create a seamless experience for consumers that spans both the physical and digital worlds.

Christiansen said: “Lego bricks are a universal language that transcends generations and cultures, and we are combining the physical and digital worlds to create a new kind of play experience that will inspire and captivate children and adults alike.”

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