CONFIRMED: Tim Sweeney’s statement comes from his own post on X. REPORTED: The details about the Disney game come from Bloomberg, which cites unnamed people and internal Epic messages. Epic has not announced the game.
Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite and the Unreal Engine, is changing how it builds games so that AI does much more of the work, its chief executive Tim Sweeney says [1].
Spotted via @TimSweeneyEpic on X: https://x.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/2109705826688549304
“We have a huge pivot underway here at Epic, moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration,” Sweeney wrote on 12 October 2026. “The aim isn’t to do the same stuff with fewer people, but to enable everyone here to build MORE and BETTER stuff, and to bring the benefits to all teams using Unreal” [1].
The Disney game (REPORTED)
According to Bloomberg, as reported by Ars Technica and Polygon, Epic is working on an unannounced shooter that mixes Marvel and Star Wars characters, made with Disney [2][3].
- Delayed. The game was planned for March 2027. It now has no new release date [3].
- “AI first.” Developers are moving to an “AI-first” way of working, using tools such as Anthropic’s Claude [2][3].
- No hand-written code. “No more hand-written code,” one of the game’s directors told staff, according to Bloomberg. The director’s message also said all art for the game would be “generated with full AI workflows” [3].
- Slower than planned. Development has been slower than Epic expected, because the company underestimated how many developers and how much time the game would need, Bloomberg’s sources said [3].
Human developers will manage and guide the code and art that the AI models produce, Ars Technica says, citing internal Epic messages seen by Bloomberg [2].
These details come from unnamed sources. Epic has not confirmed them, and TSN has not seen Bloomberg’s original report or the internal messages.
What Epic says
Epic communications director Jake Jones told Bloomberg: “We’re embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do” [3].
Background
Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic Games in 2024 and agreed a partnership with Epic covering several games [3].
What this means
- Epic’s boss says it plainly. A huge internal shift towards AI is under way, in Sweeney’s own words.
- He says it is not about cutting staff. Sweeney says the aim is for the same people to build more and better things, not to do the same work with fewer people [1].
- A big Disney project is reportedly on hold. If Bloomberg is right, the Marvel/Star Wars shooter will miss its March 2027 slot.
- It reaches beyond Epic. Sweeney says he wants the benefits to reach “all teams using Unreal”, the engine many other studios use [1].
Sources
- Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) on X, 12 October 2026. https://x.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/2109705826688549304
- Ars Technica (Kyle Orland), “Epic Games reportedly pivoting to “AI first” game development model”, 12 October 2026, citing Bloomberg. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/10/report-epic-games-goes-all-in-on-ai-for-disney-collaboration/
- Polygon, “Epic Games delays Marvel-Star Wars crossover game amid generative AI push”, October 2026, citing Bloomberg. https://www.polygon.com/epic-games-marvel-star-wars-game-delay-generative-ai-development/
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