Reports emerged that Epic adopted an AI-first model for the Disney project and delayed the game indefinitely
Following·Day 2·first covered 12 Oct 2026·2 sources
Epic Games goes AI-first on Disney collaboration, delays release
The gist
A major studio is attempting to ship a high-profile, well-funded game using AI for all code and art, testing whether that model can deliver at commercial scale. The indefinite delay raises questions about whether the approach is working on schedule.
The full picture
Epic Games has adopted an 'AI first' development model for its Disney collaboration, a Marvel- and Star Wars-themed shooter. A director told developers to write no code by hand and to produce all art through full AI workflows, with Anthropic's Claude among the AI models used for code generation. The game, which Disney backed with a $1.5 billion investment in 2024, has been delayed indefinitely; one report noted the release slipped from November to March before the AI directive, with the shift to AI contributing to slower-than-expected development. Some developers reportedly hoped the directive was not serious. An Epic spokesperson said the company is pursuing AI-accelerated development led by its own developers.
How it developed
Sources
The daily email
Want this in your inbox?
I send one email each morning with the stories that moved. If you would rather just read here, that works too.
Subscribe free