No more hand-written code? Epic’s Disney project reportedly shifts to ‘AI-First’ development
Epic Games has announced a significant shift to “AI-first” development practices for its upcoming Star Wars and Marvel multiplayer shooter being developed in partnership with Disney. The company has delayed the project as it transitions to using generative AI tools extensively for both code generation and artistic creation.
The announcement, backed by CEO Tim Sweeney via social media statement, marks a high-profile adoption of generative AI in game development—an area where the use of such technology remains controversial among developers and players alike. Epic’s pivot represents an aggressive embrace of AI tools at a time when the industry continues to debate the implications and effectiveness of generative AI in creative workflows.
The move has drawn significant criticism from the gaming community, with concerns raised about the integrity of AI-generated content and questions about whether AI-driven workflows can deliver quality results. Industry observers have noted that while AI tools promise efficiency gains, the long-term effects on game quality and the role of human creativity in development remain uncertain.
Epic’s decision to publicly commit to an “AI-first” production model suggests the company believes the technology is mature enough for major AAA projects. However, the accompanying project delay indicates the transition may be more complex than anticipated. This development comes as major studios increasingly experiment with AI tools, though few have made such an explicit company-wide commitment.