Epic Games announced the sale of two popular platforms for digital artists and 3D model creators – ArtStation and Sketchfab. Both were acquired by KitBash3D for an undisclosed sum.
Epic explained the decision by its desire to focus on key projects, including Unreal Engine 6, Fortnite, and the Epic Games Store.
ArtStation and Sketchfab were acquired by Epic in 2021. During this time, users repeatedly criticized the company for inaction in the face of a flood of AI-generated content. According to artists, such content hindered the promotion of genuine works and lowered the quality of the platform.
Most of the community welcomed the deal with enthusiasm. Artists hope that the new owner will help ArtStation get rid of unwanted algorithm-generated materials. One user wrote: "Good thing you escaped that AI junk."
The new owner assured that the operation of the websites, portfolios, and resource libraries would not deteriorate. However, ArtStation acknowledged that KitBash3D faces serious work to restore community trust.