Epic Games has reportedly delayed an unannounced shooter game featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters, shifting its development focus to an "AI first" production model. The game, a collaboration with Disney, was originally slated for a March 2027 release but is now without a confirmed launch date.
According to a report from Bloomberg, developers were instructed to incorporate artificial intelligence tools, such as Claude, into the game's production pipeline. Internal documentation reportedly directed teams to adopt an "AI first" workflow, with directives including "No more hand-written code" and that artwork would be "generated with full AI workflows."
Epic Games has not officially confirmed the existence of the Disney-themed shooter. However, in a statement to Bloomberg, Epic's communications director Jake Jones said, "We’re embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do."
This shift aligns with statements made by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. Shortly before the report surfaced, Sweeney posted on social media about the company's "huge pivot" toward "maximum AI acceleration" for game development. He believes this move will benefit "all teams using Unreal" and aims for Epic to "survive the AI revolution, help other developers do the same, and come out on the other end making better code and content faster."
The focus on AI appears to be a significant aspect of Epic's ongoing partnership with Disney, which has invested $1.5 billion in the company. Disney executive Dana Walden has described the collaboration as a "great partnership," though she denied current discussions about an acquisition. Disney's executive vice president of interactive platforms, Josh D'Amaro, has emphasized the importance of interactive media for engaging younger audiences with characters and stories, stating that the collaboration with Epic is "central to our efforts in this space."