Epic Games tells employees to take an “AI first” approach, and its Disney game slips from its March target, Bloomberg reported

Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, told employees to take an “AI first” approach to development, Bloomberg reported on Monday 12 October, according to AFP. Epic's chief executive, Tim Sweeney, wrote on X that the company has a “huge pivot” under way, “moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration”, and added that the aim is not to do the same work with fewer people. That is his own claim.

Bloomberg also reported that Epic's game with Disney, featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters, has moved off its March target, according to AFP and Game Developer; Game Developer says it now has no announced date. Game Developer adds that, according to Bloomberg, the game's director wrote in an email Bloomberg reviewed that art should be “generated with full AI workflows” and that there should be “no more hand-written code”.

AFP does not tie the “AI first” instruction to the Disney team, and Game Developer says Sweeney did not comment on the Disney claims. Epic did not respond to AFP. About six months earlier, Epic said it would lay off more than 1,000 staff, citing slower growth rather than AI, AFP reported.

The storyline reached 104 outlets in the Switchboard's press count, more than any other AI story the Switchboard had not run. It goes in the catch-up lane on its last night inside the seven-day range, as a large studio reorganising its own developers around AI tools.

• Reported Epic told employees to take an “AI first” approach, Bloomberg reported, according to AFP. AFP, via Khaleej Times
• Claimed Tim Sweeney wrote on X that Epic is moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration. AFP, via Khaleej Times
• Reported Epic's Disney game has slipped from its March target, Bloomberg reported, according to Game Developer. Game Developer