Epic Games is shifting its Disney collaboration to an “AI first” development model, according to Bloomberg. The report says AI models will write the code and guide the artwork for an upcoming Marvel- and Star Wars-themed shooter.
Bloomberg cited unnamed people familiar with the project and internal Epic employee messages. Under the reported plan, developers will manage and guide code and art assets produced by models such as Anthropic’s Claude. The messages call for “no more hand-written code” and artwork “generated with full AI workflows.”
Epic and the Walt Disney Company announced their $1.5 billion collaboration in early 2024. The shooter had been slated for March 2027, but its release has been delayed indefinitely. Bloomberg attributed the delay to the AI-related changes and development that had been understaffed and slower than expected.
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“We’re embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do,” an Epic spokesperson said.
After Bloomberg’s report appeared, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney wrote on social media that the company was moving developers around to retool for greater AI use. He said the aim was to help staff build “MORE and BETTER stuff” and bring the benefits to all teams using Unreal, rather than do the same work with fewer people.
Sweeney has previously described AI as a way to expand what game creators can build. In a June interview with IGN, he said it could allow “the possibility of infinite dialogue with a really simple setup for creators.” Last November, he said AI disclosure tags such as those required by Valve’s Steam platform “make no sense” because AI tools “will be involved in nearly all future production.”
Epic laid off over 1,000 employees in March
Epic laid off more than 1,000 employees in March, citing a “downturn in Fortnite engagement” as the main reason. Months later, Fortnite Senior External Development Manager Stephanie Arnette said AI was intended to make staff more efficient, addressing concerns that it would take jobs.
A survey of more than 2,300 game industry professionals ahead of this year’s Game Developers Conference found that 36 percent used generative AI at work, including 30 percent of respondents at game development studios. Among those using AI, 81 percent used it for research and brainstorming, compared with 47 percent for code assistance and 35 percent for prototyping. Epic is now retooling its developers for the reported shift, while the shooter remains delayed indefinitely.
