The LEGO Group is about to enter the metaverse fray, with a helping hand from Unreal Engine and Fortnite maker Epic Games.

The companies have established a long-term collaboration to design an immersive metaverse experience targeting kids of all ages and their families. Details on the project are still few and far between, but the partners stated in a release that it will be a safe and positive digital space that provides tools for kids to enhance their creative skills.

To achieve this goal, LEGO and Epic are following three key principles: prioritizing safety and wellbeing to protect children’s right to play; putting kids’ best interests first to safeguard their privacy; and providing tools that empower kids and adults to control their digital experience.

With this move, LEGO and Epic have joined a growing group of companies that are currently engaged in the kids metaverse, including Genius Brands International, Roblox and Dubit.

Interestingly, their entry aligns with insights from David Kleeman, SVP of metaverse studio and research/strategy consultancy Dubit, who argued in a recent Kidscreen opinion piece that “it’s time for us to build the metaverse we want, not just take the one we get.”

The partnership also builds on Epic’s public commitment to making kid-safe content, which gained momentum in 2020 when it acquired UK-based kidtech company SuperAwesome. Since 2013, SuperAwesome has been operating a kid-safe ad platform that connects brands with young audiences, as well as an OTT marketplace linking content creators with COPPA-compliant OTT apps and partners, such as FutureToday, KetchupTV and Ameba.

For its part, LEGO recently launched a range of new resource content (including videos, games and online activities) designed to teach kids positive digital citizenship skills.