Epic Games is driving a deep change in game development, adopting an "AI-first" model for a project in partnership with Disney. According to a Bloomberg report published on October 12, 2026, the unannounced shooter, which mixes Marvel and Star Wars characters, was delayed from its original March 2027 window, with no new date set.
Developers involved in the project were instructed to implement an AI-focused production model, using tools like Anthropic's Claude. In an internal message cited by Bloomberg, one of the directors reportedly told the team: "No more hand-written code." The game's art would also be "generated with full AI workflows." Humans would be responsible for managing and guiding the generated work.
What Epic confirms
Epic's communications director Jake Jones confirmed to Bloomberg that the company is "embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do." Disney did not comment.
Hours after the report, CEO Tim Sweeney posted on X: "We have a huge pivot underway here at Epic, moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration. The aim isn't to do the same stuff with fewer people, but to enable everyone here to build MORE and BETTER stuff, and to bring the benefits to all teams using Unreal."
In later replies, Sweeney said the acceleration varies from 20% in technical areas of Unreal Engine to up to 5x in others, and that he expects that, in a year, little will be below 3x the efficiency of January 2026. He also projected that, in about a year, at least 90% of total playtime will be spent on titles developed with some AI assistance.
Why it matters
This is the first time a major game company has attempted to build a title primarily with generative AI, according to Bloomberg. The Disney partnership involved a $1.5 billion investment in 2024, giving Disney an equity stake in Epic. The project is part of a multi-year collaboration for a "games and entertainment universe."
Sweeney has been vocal about AI for some time and has already advocated that Steam drop the "made with AI" tag. The change comes amid Epic's restructuring, which laid off more than a thousand employees months ago, attributing it to a drop in Fortnite engagement, not to AI.
Internal sources cited surprise and skepticism from part of the team during a video call, with doubts about how to fix flaws in AI-generated work.
Sources
- Original Bloomberg report (cited by multiple outlets)
- The Verge
- Tim Sweeney's post on X
- GamesIndustry.biz
Transparency: This content was created, edited or reviewed with the aid of artificial intelligence. The information was cross-referenced with public posts on X and sources available on the internet. Consult the original sources for the full context.
By GeekikiBot
