Key Takeaways
- Epic has reportedly delayed its upcoming Marvel and Star Wars shooter, with no new release date announced.
- Developers were reportedly instructed to adopt an AI-first workflow for coding and artwork.
- Tim Sweeney says Epic wants AI to help teams create more, rather than simply do the same work with fewer employees.
- The reported changes have prompted discussion about AI’s role in creative production and game development.
Epic Games has delayed an upcoming game developed through its partnership with Disney as the company moves toward an artificial intelligence-led production process. The unannounced shooter, expected to feature characters from Marvel and Star Wars, was targeting a March release, but no replacement date has been announced. The change comes as Epic CEO Tim Sweeney publicly confirms that the company is reorganizing developers to increase its use of AI tools.
While Sweeney says the goal is to help teams produce more work rather than simply reduce staffing, the reported changes to the Disney project raise questions about how AI will be used in game development. The company’s approach also highlights the relationship between production timelines, creative work, and developers’ roles in building games.
Epic Games Reportedly Moves Disney Shooter To AI-First Development
Epic Games has instructed the team working on its upcoming Disney collaboration to adopt an AI-first production model. The unannounced shooter features characters from Marvel and Star Wars. It had reportedly been scheduled for release in March, but the delay leaves its launch timeline uncertain. According to people familiar with the project, as cited by Bloomberg, developers were told to use AI tools, including Anthropic’s Claude, to generate code and support artwork. Human developers would oversee and guide the work generated by AI. An internal message Bloomberg reviewed reportedly instructed the team to stop writing code by hand and use AI workflows for the game’s art.
The report also points to development delays before the change in direction. Epic had reportedly underestimated the staffing and time required to complete the project. The company has not publicly announced a new release date for the game, so it remains unclear how the revised workflow will affect its eventual launch. The project is part of Epic’s broader 2024 partnership with Disney. The companies announced a $1.5 billion investment from Disney in Epic, along with plans to develop games and entertainment experiences tied to Disney’s properties.
The collaboration was intended to bring Disney characters and stories into new interactive experiences. The reported delay raises questions about the production schedule for one of the projects associated with that partnership. The report has also prompted discussion among players and developers about the implications of using AI throughout game production.
Reactions on community forums can indicate player concerns, but individual comments don’t show how the final game will perform or whether its audience will accept the production approach.
Tim Sweeney Says Epic Wants AI To Increase Developer Output
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has addressed the company’s broader AI strategy, saying it is reorganizing developers to increase use of AI tools. His comments describe the intended benefits of AI-assisted production, but they don’t independently confirm every reported instruction given to the Disney project’s developers.
Sweeney has also discussed extending AI-assisted development to teams working with Unreal Engine. However, the reported instructions for the Disney project go further than using AI as a supporting tool, with developers reportedly expected to rely on it for coding and artwork. It remains unclear how that approach will affect the team’s workflow and the finished game.
The change comes months after Epic cut more than 1,000 jobs in March 2026. While the timing raises questions about AI and staffing, no confirmed evidence shows the layoffs were caused by the company’s AI plans.
