According to Bloomberg, Epic Games is demanding that a yet-to-be-revealed Disney co-developed shooting game fully shift to an AI-driven development model. The project, which combines the Marvel and Star Wars IP, will use tools like Anthropic's Claude to directly write code, and art will be generated through a complete AI workflow; human teams will take on roles of guidance, management, and review. Internal sources indicate that the leader has clearly informed the development team, "no more manual coding in the future," a move far beyond typical AI-assisted programming, effectively elevating generative AI from a supporting role to the main position.

Turnaround Amid Project Delays, Internal Doubts Remain

This move comes as the project faces delays: the original release plan set for March 2027 has been indefinitely postponed, and Epic's estimates of required manpower and timeline have both proven inaccurate. CEO Sweeney confirmed on social media that the company is reorganizing its team to better understand AI, stating that the goal is not to have fewer people do the same amount of work, but to have each person produce more and better results; spokesperson Jones also emphasized that development is still led by Epic staff. However, internal unrest is inevitable—developers are concerned about the cost of troubleshooting errors in AI-generated code and how AI-generated art aligns with the overall style. After all, large games involve complex dependencies such as physics, network synchronization, and rendering, and AI outputs require extensive review and revision, possibly offsetting any speed advantages.

Layoff Shadows and High Risks of Established IPs

More sensitive is the timing: in March this year, Epic had just laid off over a thousand employees, and now it is making a bold bet on AI, leading to speculation that this might be paving the way for further layoffs. Sweeney denied that the layoffs were driven by AI, insisting they were to restore financial stability. Meanwhile, the recent incident in Fortnite where an AI-generated Darth Vader made inappropriate dialogue serves as a reminder that established IPs have very low tolerance for errors. Whether this shooting game can leverage AI to catch up on schedule while maintaining quality will serve as an important case study in observing how generative AI reshapes the large-scale game industry.