Industry

Epic Games confirms a 'huge pivot' to AI as its Disney shooter reportedly slips

By PPRGaming · October 13, 2026

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Epic Games is going all in on AI. CEO Tim Sweeney posted on X that the company has a “huge pivot underway”, moving developers around “to retool for maximum AI acceleration”. He says the goal is to let teams build “MORE and BETTER stuff”, not to do the same work with fewer people.

What’s confirmed: Sweeney’s posts, and an Epic statement to Bloomberg that the company is “embracing AI-accelerated development.” (The Verge; BBC News)

What’s reported but not officially announced (via Bloomberg):

  • Epic’s unannounced shooter with Marvel and Star Wars characters, the first big project from the Disney partnership, has slipped from its March 2027 window with no new date.
  • Staff on that project were reportedly given an “AI-first” mandate. One director allegedly told the team there would be “no more hand-written code”, and that the game’s art would be “generated with full AI workflows.”

Epic hasn’t officially revealed the game or confirmed the delay.

For context, Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic in 2024, and Epic laid off more than 1,000 people earlier this year, which Sweeney blamed on lower Fortnite engagement.

PPR take: This is one of the biggest studios in the world openly betting its next flagship on AI. Whether that ships something great or something soulless will shape how the rest of the industry moves.

Sources