Epic Games delays Disney shooter and pivots to AI first development

Epic Games has delayed an unannounced shooter featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters to switch to an AI first production model, according to Bloomberg and reported across multiple outlets. Bloomberg reported that the game had been scheduled to launch in March, but Epic Games has not confirmed a new release date. Internal employee messages viewed by Bloomberg instructed staff that there will be no more hand-written code and that art assets must be generated using full AI workflows. [1][3][4][7][8]

Under the new mandate, developers will oversee and guide assets generated by artificial intelligence tools, including Anthropic's Claude, Bloomberg reported. Ars Technica and Engadget reported that human developers will manage code and art created by these models. Sources told Bloomberg that the sudden pivot left staff stunned and was not universally well-received by developers on the project. [1][3][4][5][8]

Esports.gg and PC Gamer reported that Epic Games chief executive officer Tim Sweeney stated the company is retooling for maximum AI acceleration to survive the AI revolution. Epic Games is an American video game developer based in Cary, North Carolina, known for developing the game engine Unreal Engine and the online shooter Fortnite. The Walt Disney Company previously held discussions regarding an equity stake and investment in Epic Games, as FTMQ Gaming reported earlier. [2][6][12][14][15]