Epic Games is reportedly delaying an unannounced shooter that would feature characters from both Star Wars and Marvel. This delay is attributed to the company's internal push for developers to adopt an "AI first" production model.
The crossover game, which was initially slated for a March 2027 release, has had its schedule revised as Epic encourages its development teams to integrate generative AI tools, such as Anthropic's Claude, into their workflows. Internal communications suggest that art assets for the project are expected to be generated using AI, with human oversight. One director reportedly informed staff, "No more hand-written code," and that all art would be "generated with full AI workflows."
Epic Games communications director Jake Jones stated that the company is "embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do." However, the report indicates that some developers at Epic were taken aback by this shift.
The news follows a broader announcement from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney regarding a "huge pivot underway" to retool for "maximum AI acceleration." Sweeney clarified that the goal is not to reduce staff but to enable teams to "build MORE and BETTER stuff" and to help developers "survive the AI revolution." He also emphasized that AI integration would significantly speed up the process of taking an idea from concept to playtesting, potentially mitigating recent AAA development failures attributed to long playtest cycles.
This strategic shift comes after Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic Games in 2024, establishing a significant partnership. While collaborations have included AI-voiced characters like Darth Vader in Fortnite and AI-voiced skins, the details of this larger multi-game collaboration remain unclear. Earlier reports indicated that the unannounced game was an extraction shooter concept, potentially similar to Embark Studios' Arc Raiders.
Bloomberg's report also cited that development on the Star Wars and Marvel shooter has progressed slower than Epic anticipated, with the company underestimating the required time and resources. This comes in the wake of Epic Games laying off over 1,000 employees in March, a decision CEO Tim Sweeney linked to a downturn in Fortnite engagement.