5 Potential Disney-Backed Extraction Shooter Games, Based on Likelihood Of Actually Happening

Disney is potentially looking into making an extraction shooter, which raises some serious questions about what the shape of that game could be like. Disney has had a presence in gaming for decades, but recent years have seen it increasingly trying to establish its presence more thoroughly in the modern gamer space — with frequent tie-ins to games like Fortnite and successful collaborations with developers Insomniac and NetEase showcasing the potential for those games. It also explains recent rumors that Disney has been looking to expand their holdings with Epic Games.

With all that in mind, it’s little surprise that the company is reportedly looking into potentially developing its own extraction shooter. Given the number of properties that fall under the Disney umbrella, there are plenty of characters or franchises that could be used as the base visuals or worldbuilding for the game. Based on their likelihood of being made, here are the franchises that could drive a Disney-backed extraction shooter.

05. Disney/Pixar Characters

Disney planning a potential extraction shooter opens the door to a lot of possibilities, but one of the unlikeliest seems to be that it would actually feature Disney’s most iconic family-oriented characters. The deep bench of properties under the Disney umbrella could justify a massive roster of characters and approaches, with plenty having unique looks and distinct abilities that could easily be adapted into that style of extraction shooter gameplay. If the developers behind whatever game found a family-friendly approach — a miniature world explored by Toy Story characters or a magical landscape created by the likes of the Genie — there might be a fun game to be made.

The problem is that Disney is typically much more careful about the public perception of their animated roster of characters. Given their typically family-friendly appearance and presentation, to the point where even their most epic crossovers like Kingdom Hearts are fairly bloodless, it’s hard to imagine Disney leaning into the extraction shooter genre with those characters. While there’s plenty of potential in making a specific Disney or Pixar world the setting for an extraction shooter — seriously, Wall-E might be perfectly suited for that — it seems very unlikely that Disney would risk potentially muddying up their more family-friendly IP with a gamer space that can become infamously heated and would inherently give some of their characters weaponry.

04. An Original IP

A distinct possibility for the House of Mouse’s push into video games is that they’re looking to establish a new IP with the game. This would have the benefit of allowing Disney to move more heavily into the active gaming space without messing with the public synergy of their more established characters. It could also allow them to experiment with the characters and give the developers more freedom in designing the game. It could even be a good step towards Disney breaking more thoroughly into the world of gaming, something their partnerships with Epic Games have highlighted as a motivator for the company.

The thing that complicates that potential direction is how it would feel like a waste of Disney’s vast library of characters. While this could be a chance to establish some new characters and worlds that could become cross-media successes for the company, Disney seems much more likely to pull out one of their established franchises to give the possible game an immediately recognizable aspect. While there are benefits to Disney approaching this concept with an original concept, it feels less likely.

03. Marvel

The history of gaming is full of titles that adapt the Marvel Universe, so it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see a potential extraction shooter tied to the company be related to the Marvel Universe. This kind of game could mine plenty of locations around the Marvel Universe, setting up all sorts of potential levels and missions for players to embark on. Coupled with the sheer scope of the setting and the various playstyles that could be afforded to this approach, a Marvel extraction shooter makes a lot of sense.

There might be a few drawbacks, though. Chief among them is another successful Marvel video game, Marvel Rivals. That hero shooter has already had enough time to really establish itself in the current gaming space, and a new Marvel shooter would naturally be competing with that for attention — potentially to the detriment of both titles. That’s not even considering the other Marvel games currently in the works. While a Marvel extraction shooter makes sense, it feels more likely that Disney and Marvel would want any future games to fully distinguish themselves from Marvel Rivals.

02. Tron

Disney has been trying to make the Tron series work for a long time, whether that be in cinematic reboots or expansions into other media. The inherent video game-esque aspects of the Tron universe could make it perfect for an extrication shooter, with the films making gunplay and conflict a frequent focus of the story. The digital nature of the world could also easily explain mechanics like death and respawns, all without actually killing anyone.

The biggest knock against Tron as the focus of this kind of film would be the struggles Disney has always had turning the franchise from a niche cult classic into a mainstream hit. The terrible box office of Tron: Ares might have even killed the series for good, which makes it less likely that Disney would want to spend more time and money reviving it once more. Still, that might be an advantage, as it would allow Disney to more easily invent new settings or skip bringing in established characters. Becoming an open-ended extraction shooter might be the key to making Tron a larger success.

01. Star Wars

The most obvious pick for an extraction shooter from under the Disney umbrella would be a Star Wars game. Similar to Marvel, the established lore, characters, and settings of the franchise make it a natural pick for an expansive online video game — especially one that’s trying to be more in line with perpetual games or live-service models. Star Wars has that instantly recognizable marquee branding, but it also comes inherently with plenty of potential for additional worlds or new locations that are uniquely exciting. The franchise’s ability to skew very young and very mature also lends another incentive to use this as the basis for an extraction shooter, as it would be much more broadly accessible or flexible.

While there are plenty of Star Wars games already out there, the scope of the franchise and the ability to explore different parts of the galaxy or introduce new time periods invite plenty of opportunities for new games — and whereas Marvel already has a firm place in the current online gaming space, Star Wars would face less internal competition from another title. While Disney’s potential extraction shooter has lots of possible directions, Star Wars would make the most sense.