Epic Games invests in Spire Animation's funding round, eyes metaverse boom

FILE PHOTO: The Epic Games logo, maker of the popular video game "Fortnite", is pictured on a screen in this picture illustration August 14, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Illustration

(Reuters) -Los Angeles-based Spire Animation Studios said on Tuesday it raised $20 million in a funding round, which included an investment from Fortnite-maker Epic Games to collaborate and build metaverse experiences.

Spire said Epic's three-dimensional creation tool Unreal Engine will integrate with the company's feature animation pipeline to build into metaverse experiences, allowing it to move its existing character assets and worlds to the metaverse.