Epic Delays Disney Game and Orders an “AI-First” Development Model

Summary

Epic Games has delayed an upcoming shooter made with Disney that features Marvel and Star Wars characters. The game had been scheduled for March, but Epic has not announced a replacement release date. Bloomberg reports that developers were told to build the project with AI tools, including Anthropic’s Claude, while staff supervise the output. An internal message reportedly instructed them to stop writing code by hand, and said the game’s art would be produced through “full AI workflows.” Epic communications director Jake Jones described the approach as AI-accelerated development led by Epic developers, who would remain responsible for the project’s creative direction. Developers were informed during a video call and some were reportedly stunned by the change. Bloomberg’s sources said the game was already behind schedule, partly because Epic had underestimated its staffing and time requirements. Disney did not immediately comment. The project is the first planned game in a broader Epic-Disney partnership; Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic in 2024 and took an equity stake. The report places the decision within Epic’s wider push to use AI and follows the company’s announcement in March that it would cut 1,000 jobs, partly because Fortnite engagement had slowed. A 2026 GDC survey found that more than one-third of developers use AI, while more than half think it is harmful to the industry. Bloomberg said no other major game company had previously attempted to make a game mostly with AI. The article also notes a separate report that Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii made a new game with AI in about 30 minutes, but that is unrelated to Epic’s project.