Epic Games today announced that it has acquired Harmonix, the studio behind popular rhythm games such as Rock Band and Dance Central. The move is part of Epic Games' large-scale plan to "build the metaverse," and it sounds like Fortnite will be closely tied to the future of Harmonix.

According to a statement from Epic Games' VP of game development, Alain Tascan, Harmonix will be integral to turning Fortnite's concerts into an active experience. It's unclear how exactly that'll manifest in-game, but it sounds rather ambitious.

"Music is already bringing millions of people together in Fortnite, from our emotes to global concerts and events,” said Tascan. “Together with the Harmonix team we will transform how players experience music, going from passive listeners to active participants.”

Harmonix will continue to support existing titles in its catalog – such as Rock Band 4 – but we'd be surprised if its focus didn't shift over time to be largely dedicated to Fortnite. For now, both Fuser and Rock Band 4 will continue with all their planned updates.

“Harmonix has always aspired to create the world’s most beloved interactive music experiences, and by joining Epic we will be able to do this at scale,” said Alex Rigopulos, Co-Founder and Chairman at Harmonix. “Together we will push the creative boundaries of what’s possible and invent new ways for our players to make, perform and share music.”

Epic Games and Harmonix will work to "create musical journeys and gameplay for Fortnite," but specifics are still to be announced.

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