War Thunder studio Gaijin Entertainment announced today that it has acquired The Pit, a popular user-created Fortnite Island, or map. While it didn’t disclose the exact details of the deal, it did call it a “multi-million-dollar deal.” This acquisition is one of the first major investments in user-generated content within the Fortnite ecosystem.
Gavin “Geerzy” Gear, the creator of The Pit, said in a statement, “The Pit has been a defining project for me, and I’m thrilled to see it enter a new phase under Gaijin Entertainment. Their expertise in online gaming and commitment to innovation make them the perfect team to take The Pit to the next level.”
Gaijin worked with Gear to hand over The Pit to EndoWorlds, a new studio the former is deploying, with a transition period of two months. After that, EndoWorlds will support and expand the map.
According to Gaijin, this acquisition marks an expansion into the UGC market as part of an effort to diversify its business models. Anton Yudintsev, Gaijin CEO, said of the acquisition, “The acquisition of The Pit marks a new chapter for us. We are committed to supporting innovative gaming experiences, and UGC on platforms such as Fortnite is a new exciting opportunity for us.”