Epic reportedly moves its Disney shooter to an AI-first development model

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Kotaku has picked up a Bloomberg report that Epic Games is putting generative AI at the centre of development on an unannounced shooter featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters. According to the report, developers were told to adopt an AI first production model built on Anthropic's Claude models. They were reportedly told to stop writing code by hand, and the game's director said all art should come from full AI workflows

Bloomberg says staff reacted with confusion and shock when the policies were announced the week before. The game had reportedly been planned for March 2027 but has been delayed because of slow progress and understaffed teams. That context matters, because it suggests the AI push is partly an attempt to get a struggling project back on track

Epic's communications director Jake Jones told Kotaku that the company is embracing AI accelerated development led by Epic developers, who remain the creative drivers. The project has deep roots. Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic in 2024 to fund collaborations, and this game is one of them. Epic also laid off 1,000 people earlier this year, citing Fortnite's struggles and the cost of its antitrust battles

Kotaku notes that no major games company has yet based its whole pipeline on AI to this extent. It also says it is unclear what safeguards exist for catching and fixing mistakes the AI makes. Tim Sweeney has long been a supporter of generative AI and has criticised Steam's requirement that developers disclose its use, so the direction is not a complete surprise

This is a huge experiment, and the whole industry will be watching. If it works, it could change how big games get made. If it struggles, it will become a cautionary tale. Either way, the developers involved deserve clear communication and support through such a big change

Could an AI first pipeline deliver a game of this scale? And how do you think players will react if it launches?

Epic Games Forces Shocked Developers Into 'AI-First' Mode For Delayed Shooter Featuring Marvel And Star Wars Characterskotaku.com