AI news · Gaming · work
Epic reportedly delays Disney shooter to go AI first
Developers on a Marvel and Star Wars game were told to stop writing code by hand and to build the game, art included, with AI tools such as Anthropic’s Claude.
Epic Games has delayed its unannounced Marvel and Star Wars shooter, made with Disney, and told its developers to switch to an AI-first way of working, Bloomberg reported on Monday 12 October 2026. The game had been due in March 2027 and has no new date.
An internal message from one of the game’s directors told staff there would be “no more hand-written code”, with all the art made through AI workflows, GamesIndustry.biz reports from Bloomberg’s account. Developers now guide and check what tools such as Anthropic’s Claude produce. Bloomberg’s sources say the news, given on a video call last week, shocked some of the team.
Epic chief executive Tim Sweeney wrote on X that Epic is moving developers around to work at full AI speed, so that everyone there can build more and better. Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic in 2024, and Epic cut more than 1,000 jobs in March, Polygon notes.
A big studio betting a flagship game on AI-made code and art is a strong sign that creative teams, including ad studios, may soon be asked to direct AI output instead of crafting every asset.
Sources
- Ars Technica: Epic Games reportedly pivoting to “AI first” game development model. Checked
- GamesIndustry.biz: Epic Games delays Disney game and tells developers to go “AI first”. Checked
- Polygon: Epic Games Delays Marvel and Star Wars Crossover Game Amid Generative AI Push. Checked
Alexandre S.
Alexandre S. is a creative ad strategist and copywriter with ten years' experience in digital marketing across multiple channels.