Epic Games pivots to AI-first development
What's the story
Epic Games, the company behind Unreal Engine, is shifting its development strategy to an "AI first" model. This change will be implemented in its collaboration with The Walt Disney Company. According to a Bloomberg report, AI models will now handle all coding and artwork for an upcoming shooter game. The move marks a major shift in Epic's internal development processes.
Role shift
Humans will still manage AI outputs
Despite the heavy reliance on AI, human developers will still play a key role in the process. They will be responsible for managing and guiding code and art assets created by models like Anthropic's Claude.
This means there won't be any hand-written code or art assets but instead fully AI-driven workflows.
The change is part of Epic's $1.5 billion collaboration with Disney announced in early 2024.
Delay details
Project delay due to AI-related changes
The project, which was supposed to launch a Marvel- and Star Wars-themed shooter in March 2027, has been delayed indefinitely.
The delay is due to the AI-related changes and an understaffed development team that has been slower than expected.
An Epic spokesperson said, "We're embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do."
Transition plan
Tim Sweeney's vision for AI in gaming
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney took to social media to discuss the company's major pivot toward AI.
He said, "The aim isn't to do the same stuff with fewer people, but to enable everyone here to build MORE and BETTER stuff."
Sweeney has long been an advocate of AI's potential in revolutionizing game development.
In a June interview with IGN, he envisioned a future where small teams could create complex games with infinite dialogue possibilities.
Disclosure debate
Sweeney's stance on AI usage disclosure tags
Sweeney had also criticized AI usage disclosure tags like those required by Valve's Steam platform.
He argued that they "make no sense" as AI tools "will be involved in nearly all future production."
This statement highlights Epic's strong belief in the role of AI in shaping the future of game development.
Industry trend
Generative AI use in the gaming industry
A survey conducted ahead of this year's Game Developers Conference revealed that 36% of over 2,300 game industry professionals use generative AI tools in their work.
The majority (81%) use these tools for research and brainstorming tasks rather than coding assistance (47%) or prototyping (35%).
This trend indicates a growing acceptance of AI technology in the gaming industry.