Epic shifts to ‘AI-accelerated development’ for upcoming Disney game
The Verge Stevie Bonifield ● Covered by 3 sources
Epic’s Disney game is now delayed, and the team has been told to lean on AI for code and art. That means “AI-first” isn’t a slogan here — it’s the way they’re trying to finish it.
Based on reporting by The Verge, Stevie Bonifield — read the original for the full story.
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Epic Games is now pushing AI deep into the making of an unannounced Disney game, according to Bloomberg, and the project has slipped past its original March release window.
The directive inside the team is blunt. Developers have been told to work in an “AI-first” way and use tools such as Anthropic’s Claude more heavily to get the game done. Bloomberg says one of the game’s directors told staff, “No more hand-written code.” That’s not a gentle nudge toward automation. That’s a hard shove.
The art side is being treated the same way. Staff were told that all of the game’s art will be “generated with full AI workflows,” which makes this less about experimenting with new tools and more about changing the production line while the project is already late.
Epic, for its part, is leaning into the framing. Spokesperson Jake Jones told Bloomberg the company is “embracing AI-accelerated develop …” The quote was cut off in the source, but the message is clear enough: this is no side project for a shiny demo reel. It’s the method being used to ship a Disney game that has already missed its first target.
My take — AI-written commentary, not fact-checked reporting
This is the part where “AI-first” stops sounding futuristic and starts sounding like management trying to save time with a very expensive umbrella. If a game is already delayed, replacing human drafts with machine drafts is a bet, not a fix. The industry keeps calling this acceleration because “we changed the workflow and hope nobody notices the mess” doesn’t test well in slide decks.
Read more about this at: The Verge