Epic Games has delayed its Marvel and Star Wars shooter past its March release window and ordered developers onto an "AI first" production model, according to Bloomberg. No new release date has been confirmed.

The shift is abrupt and specific. On a video call last week, developers learned they must build the game with AI tools, including Anthropic's Claude, with staff overseeing the output. Some were "stunned," Bloomberg's sources said. One of the game's directors told staff in an internal message: "No more hand-written code." The same director said all of the game's art would be "generated with full AI workflows."

What does this change for the project?

The mandate covers both code and art. Hand-written code stops. AI workflows generate the art. Developers remain in a supervisory role, checking machine output rather than producing assets directly.

The delay and the AI push are connected. Sources told Bloomberg that development had fallen behind schedule, partly because Epic misjudged the staffing and time the game would need. The company was already encouraging AI use across its divisions, and Bloomberg noted that no other major games company has previously tried to make a game mostly with AI.

Epic communications director Jake Jones said in a statement to Bloomberg that the company is "embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do." Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

What does this change for Epic and Disney?

The stakes are high for both partners. Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic in 2024 and took an equity stake. The two companies announced a partnership covering multiple games, with this shooter due to be the first release under that deal.

Epic is making this bet from a weakened position. In March, the company said it was cutting 1,000 jobs, in part due to slowing engagement in Fortnite. A delayed flagship for the Disney partnership adds pressure to a business already contracting.

For studios elsewhere, the signal is mixed. A 2026 GDC survey found that more than a third of game developers use AI in their work. More than half believe it is harmful to the industry. Epic is now testing, at scale, whether an AI-majority pipeline can ship a major licensed title.

The broader context

The industry's experiments with AI are accelerating. Earlier today, Game Dev Wire reported that Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, produced a new game using AI in about 30 minutes.

Epic's project is different in kind. Horii's demonstration was a prototype. The Disney shooter is a commercial release carrying a $1.5 billion partnership and two of the most protected franchises in entertainment. Failure would carry costs far beyond one title.

What does this change for development teams? If the model works, it compresses schedules and shrinks the number of hands needed per asset. If it fails, Disney's involvement gives the story a very public ceiling. Either outcome sets a reference point other publishers will cite.

Watch for a new release date, and for whether Disney publicly endorses the AI workflow now attached to its characters.