Epic and Lego want to create a metaverse for children

Epic Games is partnering with the Lego Group to create a metaverse experience designed for children.

The duo outlined plans to develop an "immersive, creatively inspiring and engaging digital experience for kids of all ages to enjoy together," and said they will prioritize making the virtual environment "safe and fun for children and families."

Epic Games has already created something that vaguely resembles a metaverse in Fortnite, with its battle royale shooter growing beyond its original design into a social platform where players can cosplay as characters and celebrities from major franchises and watch virtual concerts.

Lego Group CEO Niels B Christiansen said the company has a "responsibility" to create a digital space where children are kept safe.

"Kids enjoy playing in digital and physical worlds and move seamlessly between the two. We believe there is huge potential for them to develop life-long skills such as creativity, collaboration and communication through digital experiences," said Christiansen.

"But we have a responsibility to make them safe, inspiring and beneficial for all. Just as we’ve protected children’s rights to safe physical play for generations, we are committed to doing the same for digital play. We look forward to working with Epic Games to shape this exciting and playful future."

Discussing the practicalities of the partnership, the two companies said they will combine their "extensive experience" to ensure what they describe as "the next iteration of the internet" is designed from the outset with the wellbeing of children in mind.

Epic touted its own experience building creative tools and immersive worlds that are open and accessible to players and developers, and also pointed to its 2020 acquisition of SuperAwesome, a company that has worked to create technology that can be used to build safe digital environments.