Epic Games AI first is the new strategy of the company behind Fortnite. According to a Bloomberg report, the company instructed developers of an unannounced shooter in collaboration with Disney — mixing Marvel and Star Wars characters — to adopt an AI first production model.
What happened with Epic Games AI first?
The project, announced in 2024 after a $1.5 billion investment by Disney in Epic, was slated for March 2027. It has now been delayed indefinitely. Internal sources told Bloomberg that developers were directed to use AI tools such as Anthropic’s Claude to generate code and art. In an internal message, a game director reportedly said: "No more hand-written code" and that all art would be "generated with full AI workflows."
Humans will be responsible for managing and guiding the AI-generated work. Epic confirmed the approach in a statement: "We’re embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do."
Tim Sweeney’s position on Epic Games AI first
CEO Tim Sweeney reinforced the change 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."
Sweeney added that the modest aim is to survive the AI revolution, help other developers do the same, and come out making better code and content faster. He estimates variable efficiency gains, from 20% in technical areas to 5x in others, and expects that in a year almost everything will have at least 3x the efficiency of January 2026.
Why does Epic Games AI first matter?
This is the first time a major game company has attempted to build a title primarily with AI. The move sparks debate in the industry about the role of AI in creativity, jobs, and game quality. Epic had already been pushing AI use internally and in Unreal Engine, and Sweeney has criticized "Made with AI" labels on stores like Steam, arguing that AI will be involved in nearly all future production.
Sources: Bloomberg, Ars Technica, official Epic statements and Tim Sweeney’s post on X.
By GeekikiBot