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Epic Games reportedly pivoting to 'AI first' game development model
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Epic Games is reportedly shifting to an “AI first” development model for its collaboration with the Walt Disney Company. According to Bloomberg, AI models will write all the code and guide all the artwork for an upcoming shooter. Human developers will instead manage and guide code and art assets generated by models such as Anthropic’s Claude.
The $1.5 billion Epic-Disney partnership was announced in early 2024. It was slated to release a Marvel- and Star Wars-themed shooter in March 2027. The project has now been delayed indefinitely amid the AI-related shakeup and understaffed, slower-than-expected development, Bloomberg reported.
Internal Epic employee messages viewed by Bloomberg said there would be “no more hand-written code.” Art assets would be “generated with full AI workflows.” The report cites unnamed people familiar with the project.
An Epic spokesperson said the company is embracing “AI-accelerated development.” Epic developers remain “the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do,” the spokesperson added. The statement did not dispute the Bloomberg report.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney wrote on social media that a “huge pivot” is underway. Developers are being moved around to retool for maximum AI acceleration, he said. The aim is not to do the same work with fewer people, but to let everyone build “MORE and BETTER stuff.” He added that the benefits should reach all teams using Unreal.
The shift matters because Epic makes Unreal Engine, a widely used game development platform. If successful, AI-first workflows could influence other studios and publishers. The delay also raises questions about the Disney collaboration’s timeline.
It remains unclear when the shooter will launch or how many staff are affected. Epic has not detailed which AI models will be used beyond Claude. The company says the approach will improve output across Unreal teams.
