Epic Games delays Star Wars and Marvel shooter to go AI-first

Epic Games has reportedly delayed its Star Wars and Marvel crossover shooter so the game can be built with far more AI. The company's CEO puts the decision in stark terms: Epic's "humble goal" is to survive the AI revolution. Ars Technica, Engadget, IGN, Eurogamer, PC Gamer and Video Games Chronicle all covered the story in October 2026.

What we know

The game at the center of the reports has not been formally announced. It is a collaboration between Epic and Disney. IGN calls it a secret crossover shooter that brings Star Wars and Marvel together.

The project is moving to AI-first development. That means AI tools are no longer an add-on. They are the default way to build the game. According to the reports, the change covers both code and art: code is no longer meant to be written by hand, and art is meant to come from AI.

The shift has a cost in time. Engadget and Eurogamer report that the shooter has been delayed so it can be made with more AI.

The mandate appears to reach beyond one team. Video Games Chronicle reports that Epic has ordered staff to implement AI-first development. IGN also says the company is pushing its developers to use AI.

The reasoning comes from the top. PC Gamer quotes Epic's CEO saying the company's humble goal is to survive the AI revolution.

Why it matters

Studios experimenting with AI tools is not new. The direction here is. A major licensed project built on two of Disney's biggest brands is being delayed because of the AI pivot, not in spite of it. The technology now sets the schedule.

The survival framing matters too. Epic is not pitching AI as a productivity gain. It is pitching it as a question of whether the company has a future. That turns the shift into a company-wide requirement rather than a test run by a few teams.

For players, the immediate effect is simple. A game that has not even been announced will arrive later than Epic planned internally. How much the new workflow will shape the finished game is not clear from the reports.

For the industry, the case sends a signal. If the art and code of a Disney project are largely produced by AI, that raises questions about jobs, about copyright and about what the license holder signs off on.

What is still unclear

Most of the reporting is based on information about internal directives. The sources do not include a detailed official statement from Epic or Disney on the delay. The shooter has no public title, and neither its original nor its new release timing is known. It is also unclear how Disney views AI-first development of its brands.