Epic shifts to AI, Tim Sweeney stresses no job cuts

Business Oct 13, 2026

Epic Games, the team behind Fortnite, is making a big move into artificial intelligence to help build games faster and better.

CEO Tim Sweeney says this shift is about improving quality and efficiency, not cutting jobs.

Unreal Engine will be at the heart of these new AI-powered projects, both inside Epic and with other studios.

Japan leads game developer AI adoption

Epic's push follows a bigger trend: while more than 85% of Japanese game developers use AI, only 36% do in North America.

Earlier layoffs at Epic were due to growth struggles, not because of AI.

Delays on a Disney project show Epic's serious about an AI-first future, with Sweeney saying the goal is to empower creators for what's ahead.