Epic delays Disney shooter, mandates 'AI first' development with no handwritten code
According to a Bloomberg report, Epic Games has delayed an upcoming Marvel- and Star Wars-themed shooter made with Disney and instructed the team to adopt an “AI first” production model, with internal messages saying there would be “no more hand-written code” and that all art assets would be “generated with full AI workflows,” leaving human developers to supervise and guide model output. The project had been slated for March, and the report ties the delay to slower-than-expected, understaffed development as well as the process overhaul; no new release date has been given. Epic spokesperson Jake Jones said the company is embracing AI-accelerated development led by its developers, and CEO Tim Sweeney said the aim is to let staff build more and better content rather than simply cut people.
It is a rare public case of a major game maker handing code and art production to AI, which could shape how other studios staff and structure development.