Epic Games' CEO confirms a shift to AI in how it makes games
Tim Sweeney says Epic is retooling its developers for "maximum AI acceleration". Here's what has been reported so far.
On 13 October, BBC Newsbeat reported that Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, is making what its boss Tim Sweeney called a "huge pivot" towards AI in game development. Sweeney set this out in a series of posts on X, saying developers are being moved to "retool for maximum AI acceleration".
According to the BBC, Sweeney said the aim wasn't "to do the same stuff with fewer people" but to help developers build more and better things. He described it as a "modest aim to survive the AI revolution".
The posts followed a Bloomberg report, cited by the BBC, that Epic had delayed an unannounced Disney collaboration featuring Star Wars and Marvel characters. Bloomberg reported that staff on that project were told to finish it with AI tools. The BBC says it asked Epic about both the AI use and the reported delay. Sweeney didn't publicly comment on the Disney project.
The BBC notes that the move comes six months after Epic confirmed it was laying off more than 1,000 staff, which Sweeney put down to a downturn in Fortnite engagement rather than AI. It also notes that in 2025, the actors' union SAG-AFTRA filed a complaint over an AI recreation of Darth Vader's voice in Fortnite.
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