Epic Games has delayed its unannounced Marvel/Star Wars Disney shooter indefinitely and ordered an “AI-first” production model for it.
The story comes from a Bloomberg report by Jason Schreier (citing people familiar with the project and internal messages), published October 12, 2026, and has been widely covered by GamesIndustry.biz, Eurogamer, Ars Technica, and others.
The Game and Partnership
- It’s a multiplayer shooter featuring characters from Marvel and Star Wars.
- It was the first major title in the multi-game partnership that followed Disney’s $1.5 billion equity investment in Epic (announced early 2024). That deal also involved broader plans for a Disney-connected “games and entertainment universe” tied in some way to Fortnite-style experiences.
- Original internal target was March 2027. No new date has been set.
- Development was already behind schedule. Sources say Epic underestimated the staffing and time required. Some earlier internal feedback on the project was described as middling.
The AI-First Directive
Developers were told about the change on a video call last week. Key points from internal communications reviewed by Bloomberg:
- One of the game’s directors stated: “No more hand-written code.”
- All art would be “generated with full AI workflows.”
- Tools such as Anthropic’s Claude are being used to generate code and art assets.
- Human developers will manage, oversee, and guide the AI output rather than create most of it directly.
Staff were reportedly “stunned,” with some initially hoping it was a joke.
This is being framed as the first time a major studio has attempted to build a high-profile title primarily with generative AI.
Epic’s Official Position
- Communications director Jake Jones told Bloomberg: “We’re embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do.”
- CEO Tim Sweeney posted on X shortly after the story broke.
- “We have a huge pivot underway here at Epic, moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration.
- The aim isn’t to do the same stuff with fewer people, but to enable everyone here to build MORE and BETTER stuff, and to bring the benefits to all teams using Unreal.” In a follow-up he added a more modest framing: surviving the AI revolution, helping other developers do the same, and producing better code and content faster.
- He has long been bullish on AI for game development (including past comments about small teams creating large interactive worlds and infinite dialogue).
Disney has not publicly commented.
Broader Context
Epic has been pushing AI tools across the company for some time (including Unreal Engine features and earlier experiments in Fortnite).
This follows March 2026 layoffs of over 1,000 employees, which Sweeney attributed to a downturn in Fortnite engagement and the company spending more than it was earning.
Industry surveys (e.g., GDC) show mixed adoption of generative AI among developers—many use it for research/brainstorming, fewer for full code or art production—and significant skepticism about its impact.
The move is controversial both inside Epic (given the recent layoffs and the abrupt nature of the directive) and more broadly, as it represents one of the most aggressive public bets by a major publisher on primarily AI-generated code and assets for a AAA-scale licensed title.
Sources are consistent across Bloomberg and secondary reporting; the core facts come from anonymous people familiar with the project and internal messages, which Epic has effectively confirmed through its statements and Sweeney’s posts.
