Epic Games has sold ArtStation and Sketchfab to KitBash, moving two widely used creative platforms into the same company as KitBash3D and Greyscalegorilla. The deal was announced on August 10, 2026, and marks a notable change in Epic’s creator-platform strategy as it puts more focus on Unreal Engine 6, Fortnite, its developer ecosystem and the Epic Games Store.
Neither Epic Games nor KitBash has disclosed the financial terms of the acquisition. For artists, studios and 3D creators, however, the immediate message is continuity: ArtStation portfolios, Sketchfab libraries and existing workflows are not being overhauled as part of the ownership change.
Why Epic Games sold ArtStation and Sketchfab
Epic acquired ArtStation in April 2021 and Sketchfab in July 2021 as it expanded deeper into digital art, 3D content and creator tools. Five years later, the company is narrowing its priorities.
In its official announcement on the KitBash acquisition, Epic said it is prioritizing Unreal Engine 6, Fortnite, the developer ecosystem and the Epic Games Store.
That makes the transaction less about Epic leaving creators behind and more about which creator-facing businesses it wants to operate directly. Fortnite, for example, has grown far beyond its original battle royale format into a platform built around user-created experiences, entertainment and live-service content. The challenges around that creator economy have already been visible in debates over AI-generated imagery and creator visibility in Fortnite.
The Epic Games Store remains another major part of the company’s strategy. Epic continues using the storefront to distribute games, attract PC users and strengthen the ecosystem around its accounts, launcher and development technology.
KitBash gains a much broader 3D creator ecosystem
KitBash is best known through KitBash3D, which supplies production-ready environments and 3D assets for games, film, television, VFX and visualization. It also owns Greyscalegorilla, a platform focused on materials, plugins, training and tools for 3D artists and motion designers.
ArtStation and Sketchfab add different parts of the creative workflow. ArtStation is heavily used for portfolios, professional discovery, jobs and digital art sales, while Sketchfab specializes in publishing and viewing interactive 3D models online.
Bringing the four businesses together gives KitBash a presence across asset creation, education, publishing, portfolio presentation and artist discovery. KitBash has described that as an opportunity to make the creative journey more connected over time, but it has not announced a detailed integration roadmap.
Epic and KitBash are not ending their relationship either. Epic said the companies have a longstanding partnership and expect to continue working together around open and accessible platforms for creators.
What changes for ArtStation and Sketchfab users
For now, the practical answer is very little.
KitBash says ArtStation and Sketchfab will continue operating with their existing portfolios, libraries and core workflows. ArtStation has separately confirmed that existing logins and portfolio uploads remain in place.
ArtStation Pro subscriptions are also continuing without a change announced as part of the deal. Its Jobs service will remain available for people looking for work or hiring artists, while the Digital Marketplace and Prints Marketplace are continuing to operate.
One particularly important assurance concerns ownership. ArtStation says creators retain their intellectual property and ownership of the art they upload to the platform.
Existing KitBash3D and Cargo users have received similar assurances. Their Kits, assets, Cargo access and current subscriptions will continue as they do today, and KitBash says the acquisition announcement does not introduce higher prices for KitBash3D products or subscriptions.
There are also no immediate integrations being announced between ArtStation, Sketchfab, KitBash3D and Greyscalegorilla. KitBash says it wants to listen to the people using the platforms before setting out longer-term plans.
Fab stays with Epic Games
A key detail is that Fab is not part of the sale. Epic continues to operate Fab as its digital-content marketplace, giving creators a place to publish, buy and sell digital assets.
Fab previously brought together elements of the Unreal Engine Marketplace, Sketchfab Store, Quixel and ArtStation Marketplace. Epic’s current developer documentation still describes Fab as its open marketplace, so the sale of the wider ArtStation and Sketchfab platforms should not be confused with Epic giving up its asset-marketplace business.
That distinction helps explain the strategy. Epic is keeping a marketplace closely tied to Unreal Engine, Unreal Editor for Fortnite and the Epic Games Launcher while handing the broader community and publishing platforms to KitBash.
Epic’s focus on Fortnite also continues to require significant infrastructure and platform investment, something visible during major deployments such as the Fortnite v40.40 worldwide update and scheduled server maintenance.
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Why the ownership change matters for creators
The biggest issue for users is not what changes on day one, but how KitBash handles these communities over time. Artists may have years of portfolio history, client visibility and professional connections tied to ArtStation, while Sketchfab users can have large collections of published 3D models built into existing workflows.
That gives KitBash an opportunity, but also a responsibility. Connecting its platforms could make it easier for creators to move from learning and asset creation to publishing and professional discovery. At the same time, changes to pricing, licensing, search visibility or platform features could directly affect working artists, which is why the company’s decision not to rush integrations is significant.
For now, the confirmed picture is straightforward: KitBash owns ArtStation and Sketchfab, Epic retains Fab, existing creator access is staying in place, and no immediate product integration or pricing overhaul has been announced.
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