Epic reportedly moves Disney shooter to AI-first development, delays release

Epic Games has delayed its upcoming Star Wars and Marvel shooter as the project shifts to an "AI-first" production model, according to a Bloomberg report relayed by Game Developer. The report says developers on the game have been told to rely heavily on AI, especially for code and art.

Bloomberg reviewed an email from the game's director. It reportedly tells the team that art should be made with full AI workflows and that hand-written code is out. The game was aiming for a March release. It is now reportedly moving to a later date that has not been announced.

Shortly after the report, Sweeney posted on X about Epic's wider direction. He described a big pivot underway, with developers being moved around to retool for maximum AI acceleration. He said the aim is not to do the same work with fewer people, but to let everyone build more and better things, and to bring the benefits to all teams using Unreal.

Sweeney's post covers Epic's AI approach in general. As Game Developer points out, he did not comment on or confirm the claims about the Disney project. The email details and the delay come from Bloomberg's reporting, and Epic has not confirmed them in the sources we have.

For Unreal developers, the practical takeaway is limited for now. Sweeney's statement suggests AI tooling is a priority at Epic, but no specific products, features or timelines have been announced. Watch for official Epic or Disney confirmation of the delay and a new release date.