Epic Games is shifting to an “AI first” development strategy for its collaboration with Walt Disney, allowing AI models to write all the code and guide all the artwork for an upcoming shooter. The $1.5 billion project, which was due to release a Marvel- and Star Wars-themed shooter in March 2027, has been postponed indefinitely amid the AI-related shakeup and understaffed, slower-than-expected development. Human developers will now manage and guide code and art assets generated by models like Anthropic’s Claude.

“We’re embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do,” said an Epic spokesperson. “We have a huge pivot underway here at Epic, moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration,” CEO Tim Sweeney wrote on social media. The aim is to enable everyone to build more and better stuff, not just do the same stuff with fewer people.

The shift is part of a broader trend in the tech industry, where AI is becoming an increasingly important tool in content creation. However, the success of this project remains to be seen, as AI-generated assets can sometimes lack the nuanced creativity and flair of human input.

The delayed release and the restructuring have raised questions about the future of game development and the role of human creativity in the process. Nonetheless, the move signals a significant shift in how games are created, and it's likely that similar strategies will be adopted by other companies in the coming years.