Alliance Studios has announced that it will be making the “incredibly difficult decision” to close down after seven years of creating branded environments, experiences, and events within Fortnite Creative.
Mackenzie “MackJack” Bell, the chief executive officer and co-founder of Alliance, announced the news announced on LinkedIn.
“This isn’t just the end of a company, it’s the closing of one of the most defining chapters of my life,” Bell said in the LinkedIn post. “Day one of Fortnite Creative’s launch, I was on the tools, passionately building. I fell in love with game development. In 2019, I released the first non-Epic involved branded game inside Fortnite Creative, and that moment kick-started everything for me.”
Alliance Studios started from a small team that grew from just a few people to 20 salaried employees at its peak, and was responsible for collaborations with over 50 brands, including Prime Energy, SpongeBob, Topgolf, Doritos, McDonald’s, AT&T, MrBeast, Maybelline, Tomb Raider, Soundwave Experiences, The Kid Laroi concert, and Coachella. The company developed over 100 games, boasting over 1 billion total lifetime players across its portfolio.
“I saw something that wasn’t obvious to most people yet. As a gamer, I’ve always been frustrated with traditional advertising, and don’t even get me started on mobile games. Constant interruptions that pull you out of the experience. It never felt built for the player,” Bell said in her LinkedIn post. “I always believed there was a better way. That brands could be integrated directly into gameplay, not as interruptions, but as part of the experience itself. Something players could engage with, not avoid. Advertising that felt immersive, intentional, and actually fun.”
Bell described the last year as “one of the hardest” of her life as her company grew and continued to take risks in “pursuit of building something even bigger.” The Alliance Studios chief executive revealed that “some of those bets didn’t work out”, and while that wasn’t the only factor that led to the studio’s closure, it did play a role.
“More than anything, Alliance changed my life in ways I’ll carry forever. It’s where I met my husband. It’s where I found my voice as a leader, as a builder, and as someone who truly believes in creating meaningful experiences for players,” Bell said. “To every teammate, partner, and player who was part of this journey, thank you. You helped build something that mattered. I’m still incredibly passionate about this space and what it can become. I don’t know exactly what the next chapter looks like yet, but I do know I’m not done building, creating, and contributing to the things I love.”