Epic Games Delays Secret Star Wars and Marvel Crossover Shooter, Pushes 'AI First' Development

Epic Games has reportedly postponed its unannounced Star Wars and Marvel crossover shooter as it encourages developers to adopt an 'AI first' production approach.

According to a Bloomberg report, the untitled Disney game was originally set for a March release but has been delayed to fit a new internal schedule that hasn't been disclosed yet. Developers working on the project have been urged to use AI tools like Anthropic's Claude, with human oversight. Bloomberg also obtained an internal message from one of the game's directors, which stated, 'No more hand-written code,' and mentioned that all art would be 'generated with full AI workflows.'

The report further noted that Epic underestimated the time and resources needed for the Star Wars and Marvel shooter, leading to slower progress and the delay. The launch date and platform remain uncertain.

'We're embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do,' Epic communications director Jake Jones told Bloomberg.

The push for AI reportedly left many Epic developers 'stunned.' This follows an earlier Bloomberg report this year about Epic working on an extraction shooter with Disney characters, similar to Embark Studios' Arc Raiders.

Just before this news, Epic founder and CEO Tim Sweeney posted on X/Twitter about a 'huge pivot underway,' with developers being reassigned to focus on AI acceleration. '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,' he said. In follow-up posts, Sweeney added, 'Our more modest aim is to survive the AI revolution, help other developers do the same, and come out on the other end making better code and content faster.' He also highlighted that faster idea-to-playtest cycles will improve gameplay, as many recent AAA failures stem from insufficient playtesting.

Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic in 2024, solidifying their partnership. Beyond crossovers in Fortnite, the full scope of their collaborations is still unclear. Disney recently denied rumors of acquiring the studio outright.