Tag: #TechNews

  • From Theme Park to Battle Royale: Disney and Fortnite Blur Reality with Groundbreaking ‘Smugglers Run’ Crossover!

    From Theme Park to Battle Royale: Disney and Fortnite Blur Reality with Groundbreaking ‘Smugglers Run’ Crossover!

    If you’ve ever stepped off the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attraction at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge wishing your mission didn’t have to end, we’ve got incredible news for you. Disney and Epic Games have officially bridged the gap between physical theme parks and virtual worlds in a first-of-its-kind connected adventure: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run | Fortnite.

    This revolutionary collaboration links real-world rides at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida directly into a brand-new, action-packed Fortnite island experience called Smugglers Gambit.

    Here is everything you need to know about this game-changing integration between Disney Imagineering and battle royale gaming!

    What is Smugglers Gambit in Fortnite?

    Developed in-house by Disney Games and Digital Entertainment alongside Lucasfilm, Smugglers Gambit is a custom Fortnite island set around Mersa Veta Station on the outer-rim planet of Ord Ryla.

    Players step into the boots of an Outer Rim smuggler, teaming up in co-op missions to battle Imperial remnants, pirate fleets, and hostile alien wildlife. Because the physical Smugglers Run ride original tech was built using Epic’s Unreal Engine, Disney Imagineers were able to pull authentic assets, ship models, and Lucasfilm craftsmanship straight from the theme park ride directly into Fortnite.

    Whether you’ve visited Galaxy’s Edge or not, any Fortnite player worldwide can jump onto the Smugglers Gambit island to earn gear, level up, and complete quests—including unlocking The Gambit 2D Loading Screen.

    How the Theme Park Connection Works

    For park-goers, the adventure starts right in the attraction line. Here’s how the real-to-digital magic unfolds:

    1. Accept the Mission: While waiting in the queue for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disneyland Park or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, open the Disneyland app or My Disney Experience app and accept Hondo Ohnaka’s special mission.
    2. Fly the Falcon: Board the cockpit, collect cargo crates during your ride, and aim for a high score.
    3. Convert Your Ride Score: Your actual performance and crate score aboard the ride are converted into usable credits inside Fortnite’s Smugglers Gambit island!
    4. Claim Exclusive Cosmetics: Theme park riders who link their MyDisney account to their Epic Games account unlock exclusive in-game rewards—including the coveted Forsworn Trooper Outfit.

    Why This is a Big Deal for Tech and Gaming

    We’ve seen video games bring theme park rides to life virtually before, but we’ve never seen real-world theme park rides track your physical performance and feed it directly into a live-service game account.

    Disney’s $1.5 billion stake in Epic Games is starting to showcase its true potential. By integrating real-time queue apps, Unreal Engine ride technology, and Epic Games accounts, Disney and Epic are creating a unified, persistent ecosystem where real life and digital entertainment merge seamlessly.

    Ready to Jump In?

    The Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run | Fortnite connection is live now! To participate:

    • In the Parks: Simply launch your Disney park app in line at Galaxy’s Edge (included with standard park admission).
    • At Home: Search for the Smugglers Gambit island code in Fortnite across PC, console, or mobile.

    Is this connected ecosystem the future of entertainment souvenirs, or are you holding out until you can pilot the Falcon from your living room? Let us know in the comments below!

    Find out more here

    #TechMash #Fortnite #StarWars #DisneyParks #SmugglersRun #SmugglersGambit #EpicGames #UnrealEngine #GalaxysEdge #GamingNews #TechNews

  • Meet Bota: SQOOL’s New Desktop Companion “Sill Sticks” Drops on Steam Next Week!

    Meet Bota: SQOOL’s New Desktop Companion “Sill Sticks” Drops on Steam Next Week!

    If you ever feel a little lonely staring at your monitor all day, or if you just need a reminder that it’s completely okay to do absolutely nothing sometimes, SQOOL has some great news for you.

    SQOOL Co., Ltd.—the Tokyo-based powerhouse known for running video game news media and providing top-tier game marketing support—has officially announced the release date for its latest in-house project. Mark your calendars: Sill Sticks is coming to your PC desktop on July 20, 2026!

    What is Sill Sticks?

    Developed as the spiritual sister app to SQOOL’s popular cat desktop companion Sill Cats, Sill Sticks takes a much more laid-back approach to virtual companionship.

    Instead of an energetic feline jumping across your browser tabs, this app introduces you to Bota, a delightfully lazy stickman whose entire life mission is to loaf around your desktop at his own relaxed pace.

    Work hard, loaf harder. Bota won’t get in the way of your workflow or clutter your screen. He mostly keeps a low profile, occasionally muttering to himself or starting a casual, low-stakes conversation with you just to liven up your workday.

    Free-to-Play and Highly Customizable

    The core app will be completely free to download on Steam. However, if you want to spice up your desktop ecosystem or give Bota a bit more flair, SQOOL is dropping two day-one DLC packs alongside the main release:

    • The Partner Pack ($1.99 / ¥265): Adds a second companion character to hang out on your screen alongside Bota.
    • The Dress Up Pack ($0.99 / ¥160): Allows you to customise Bota’s body colours, give him various hats (like a wizard hat or crown), and change his speech bubble aesthetics.

    Launch Discount Alert! Both DLC packs will be available at a 10% discount for the first 14 days following the July 20 launch.

    SQOOL has also confirmed that, just like Sill Cats, Sill Sticks will receive regular post-launch updates to bring even more content, features, and idle animations to your screen over time. If you need a tiny, low-maintenance pixel buddy to keep you company during late-night gaming sessions or tedious spreadsheets, keep an eye on Steam next Monday!

    Ready to meet Bota? You can check out the official Sill Sticks trailer on YouTube and wishlist the app directly on its official Steam Page.

    Find out more here

    #TechNews #IndieGames #SillSticks #SteamGames #PCGaming #SQOOL #DesktopCompanion