Epic Games postpones Marvel-Star Wars crossover game as it shifts focus to generative AI development.

Epic Games has postponed an unannounced crossover shooter featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters, as reported. The studio behind Fortnite and Unreal Engine is now encouraging its developers to leverage generative AI tools, such as Anthropic’s Claude, to expedite the game’s development. Initially set for a March 2027 release, the game currently lacks a new launch date.

According to a director involved in the project, the shift to an “AI-first” development approach means that all game art will be created using comprehensive AI workflows. “No more hand-written code,” the director informed the team.

Jake Jones, Epic’s communications director, stated, “We’re embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do.”

This pivot to AI has reportedly taken some Epic developers by surprise. Just before the report surfaced, CEO Tim Sweeney mentioned a significant shift at Epic, reallocating developers to maximize AI integration. He emphasized that the goal is not to reduce staff but to empower everyone to create more and better content, benefiting all teams utilizing Unreal.

In 2024, Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic Games and entered into a multi-game partnership. The two companies previously collaborated to introduce an AI-voiced Darth Vader in Fortnite, which players quickly exploited. This summer, Epic announced plans to implement AI voices for three dozen Fortnite skins, trained on performances from consenting actors, reminiscent of last fall’s controversy surrounding AI voices in Arc Raiders.

In response to a user on X who criticized Sweeney’s understanding of public sentiment regarding AI in game development, Sweeney remarked, “Much of the room wants it to be 2016 again, but it’s not. Our job, as the provider of tools and technology to much of the industry, is to design for the present that is and the future that will soon be. Personally, I’m optimistic about it and see it as empowering for creators.”

This latest push for generative AI tools follows a round of layoffs at Epic, where over 1,000 developers were let go in March. Sweeney attributed this to a decline in Fortnite engagement that began the previous year, leading to a situation where Epic was spending more than it was earning.

Sources indicate that development on the Marvel and Star Wars game has progressed more slowly than anticipated, as Epic underestimated the number of developers and the time required for the project.

Sweeney also interacted with users on X who had questions about game development, though he did not address one user’s inquiry about the layoffs.