Vampire Survivors developer Poncle has announced it is "reviewing" its upcoming collaboration with Fortnite. This decision comes in the wake of Epic Games' recent State of Unreal presentation, where the company showcased its increasing integration of generative AI tools into game development.
During the State of Unreal showcase, Epic revealed several new Fortnite collaborations, including those with Control Resonant, Sonic Crossworlds Racing, Phantom Blade Zero, and Vampire Survivors. However, shortly after the presentation, Poncle stated its intention to re-evaluate its partnership with Fortnite. "Following today's news about gen AI usage by Epic to create all sorts of game assets, including Fortnite characters," a statement from the developer read, "we're currently 'reviewing' our collaboration with Fortnite. We'll let you know if anything moves forward."
While Poncle did not explicitly detail which specific AI-related news prompted this review, Epic's presentation highlighted an experimental plugin for Unreal Engine that integrates generative AI, such as Claude. Michael Lentine, senior director of Epic Games' research and development department, stated during the event that such features could dramatically reduce development time, allowing artists to create assets in days rather than months.
Epic has also featured tools like Nano Banana, described as an advanced AI image editing model, in its development process. This has amplified existing controversies surrounding generative AI, which include ethical concerns, potential copyright infringement, and the impact on jobs within the gaming industry. Many voice actors have publicly voiced their apprehension regarding the exploitative use of such technologies.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has previously suggested that disclosing AI usage in game development is becoming increasingly unnecessary, positing that AI will be integral to nearly all future production. Epic itself has a history with AI, notably recreating James Earl Jones' voice for Darth Vader using technology in 2025, with the consent of the actor's estate.
The gaming industry is increasingly incorporating generative AI into development pipelines. Titles like the Crazy Taxi revival and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis have been noted to utilize these tools. Crystal Dynamics has stated that AI was used to help teams iterate faster and more efficiently on Legacy of Atlantis, while assuring that all final content remains human-crafted.
It remains to be seen if other developers with upcoming Fortnite collaborations will follow suit in reviewing their partnerships in light of the renewed discourse around AI. Notably, S-Game, the studio behind Phantom Blade Zero, previously released a statement emphasizing that all content in their game is created by human artists and that they would not use AI visual technology that could alter their artists' original creative intent. The implications for their Fortnite deal are yet to be clarified. Eurogamer has reached out to Sega, Remedy, and S-Game for comment on their respective collaborations with Epic and will provide updates as more information becomes available.