A unique decision has been made.
Epic Games is fully embracing the integration of artificial intelligence in its game development processes. The company has been collaborating with Disney on various projects, but recent insights suggest that the launch of their upcoming title has been postponed to facilitate the incorporation of more AI technologies. According to reports, one of the game’s directors alerted the development team that they would be adopting an “AI first” strategy, indicating that “hand-written code” would no longer be the norm and that all project art would be created using AI-driven workflows.
However, this shift towards AI has not been met with unanimous approval among the developers. Some team members are reportedly skeptical about the seriousness of this directive. Despite this, Epic has been actively integrating numerous generative AI tools into its Unreal Engine platform throughout the year, suggesting that this new directive is indeed substantive. Jake Jones, Epic’s Communications Director, affirmed the commitment to “AI-accelerated development,” noting that the company’s developers are the driving force behind this innovative approach.
In 2024, Disney made a significant financial commitment of $1.5 billion to Epic. While various Disney characters have made appearances as skins in Fortnite, this deeper partnership aims to develop a cohesive “games and entertainment universe.” Earlier this year, there were speculations about the developer’s most promising project for Disney being an extraction shooter similar to Arc Raiders, originally set for a November release. However, the timeline has reportedly been pushed back to March, preceding the announcement of the new AI strategy.
According to the annual GDC survey, a rising number of game developers perceive generative AI as detrimental to the industry. This year’s survey revealed that 52% of respondents believe AI is harmful to gaming, a significant increase from 30% in 2025. It also noted that while many in the gaming sector utilize generative AI tools, their primary applications are focused on research and programming rather than the creation of game assets.
