WPP and Epic Games, interactive entertainment company and developer of “Fortnite” and “Unreal Engine,” have announced a new partnership to help WPP agencies deliver a new era of digital experiences for brands in the metaverse. The partnership will include a new training program to upskill thousands of WPP creatives and technologists on how to create custom brand experiences in “Fortnite,” and how to use “Unreal Engine” for real-time 3D creation and virtual production. The new metaverse curriculum will consist of three separate tracks for executives, creative practitioners and media experts and strategists. 

As a part of the partnership, WPP teams will work closely with experts at Epic to learn how to build interactive experiences leveraging Unreal Engine, a real-time 3D creation tool used across a range of industries including games, film, architecture, fashion, automotive, music and live events. WPP teams will be able to take advantage of training and tools to create new experiences in “Fortnite.”  

“We think of WPP as the creative transformation company, one that embraces new environments like the metaverse and sees the potential for clients,” says Nilufar Fowler, executive vice president, strategic partnerships, WPP. “Epic’s technology is world-class, and we are delighted to partner with it to raise the bar for social experiences in virtual worlds on behalf of our clients.” 

“The collaboration between Epic, WPP, its clients and the creator community will accelerate the building of diverse social entertainment experiences that players across the world will love,” says Matthew Henick, vice president of metaverse development, Epic Games. “This partnership with WPP bolsters our mission to educate more trailblazing brands and creators on how Epic’s tools across ‘Fortnite,’ ‘Unreal Engine’ and 3D marketplaces like ArtStation and Sketchfab can be used to bring their metaverse visions to life.”