Epic shifts Disney shooter toward AI-first development as release is delayed

Ars Technica, citing a Bloomberg report, says Epic is moving its Disney collaboration to an “AI first” development strategy for an upcoming shooter.[1] Under the reported plan, AI models would write all of the game’s code and guide all of its artwork.[1] VGC separately reported an instruction of “no more handwritten code” for an unannounced shooter, and said the art was to be created through full AI workflows.[2] VGC also reported that tools such as Anthropic’s Claude were part of the production plan.[2]

The shooter had been slated for release in March 2027, but its release has now been delayed indefinitely, according to the Bloomberg report cited by Ars Technica.[1] The project is said to feature characters from Marvel and Star Wars.[2] Epic and Disney announced their collaboration in early 2024, and it was valued at $1.5 billion.[1] For planning purposes, the reported schedule change means the previous March 2027 target should not be treated as the current release date.

The project was reportedly delayed amid understaffing and development that moved more slowly than expected.[1] VGC reported that Epic had underestimated how many staff the project would require.[2] Those accounts identify staffing and pace as reported factors in the delay; they do not establish that the AI-first approach caused it or will resolve it. Human developers would still manage and guide work generated by AI models, according to Ars Technica.[1] That distinction matters for teams assessing the plan: the reports describe a shift in how work is produced, not the removal of human direction.

An Epic spokesperson said the company was embracing AI-accelerated development under the creative leadership of Epic developers.[1] Sweeney said Epic’s goal was not to make the same products with fewer people, but to help teams build more and better products; he also said Epic wanted to bring AI acceleration to all teams using Unreal.[1] VGC described Epic as one of the first major video-game companies to confirm an attempt to build a triple-A game primarily with AI.[2] The reports also note concerns about plagiarism and the perceived poor quality of generative AI results.[2]