Technology and Scienceupdated 1h ago2 min read
Epic Delays Disney Shooter, Orders Developers to Adopt AI-First Production With Claude
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Project delayed indefinitely with no new release date announced. Developers told to adopt AI-first workflow, replacing handwritten code and art with AI tools.
Epic shifts to AI-first
Epic Games told developers working on its unannounced Disney collaboration shooter to adopt an “AI-first” production model, with Anthropic’s Claude used for code and AI-driven workflows used for artwork. Epic’s internal direction included a director telling the team, "No more hand-written code," and another instruction that the game’s art would be "generated with full AI workflows." Epic’s communications director Jake Jones confirmed to Bloomberg that "we are adopting AI-driven accelerated development, guided by Epic developers who are the visionaries and the creative engine of everything we do."
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney wrote that "we are undertaking a major strategic redirection, reorganizing our developers to prepare for maximum acceleration in the AI field." Epic and Disney had previously targeted a March 2027 launch for a Marvel- and Star Wars-themed shooter, but the project now has no concrete release window.
Developers react, timeline slips
Bloomberg’s reporting, as repeated by Ars Technica, said the AI-first pivot let AI models write all the code and guide all the artwork for the upcoming shooter, while humans managed and guided the generated assets. The project was delayed indefinitely and it had been slated for March 2027, with the shift tied to understaffed, slower-than-expected development thus far. Epic staff reacted to the new direction with surprise, and it described internal jokes imagining workers having to ask Claude to fix errors it made in responses.
The push left many developers “stunned,” and it reported that Epic underestimated the time and resources necessary to develop the shooter. Epic underestimated the time and resources necessary to develop the shooter.
What the pivot means next
Epic’s restructuring is tied to its broader AI push, with 80 Level describing Epic as preparing for a "maximum acceleration in the AI field" and citing Sweeney’s claim that developers are being reorganized to retool. 80 Level also tied the timing to March layoffs, saying Epic laid off more than 1,000 employees across its divisions after Sweeney acknowledged declining Fortnite engagement left Epic spending substantially more than it earned. Ars Technica said the Disney collaboration involved a $1.5 billion deal announced in early 2024, and it described the shooter as a Marvel- and Star Wars-themed project originally targeting March 2027.
DiarioBitcoin said the AI-centered production model would leave initial material generation to tools while reserving humans for review, refinement, and approval, and it described internal doubts about the originality of its mechanics. GameDev.net framed the practical takeaway as a shift in production control, with AI doing first-pass implementation and content generation while validation, integration, and quality assurance become the bottleneck.