Epic Games has delayed an unannounced shooter featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters, developed in collaboration with Disney, according to a Quartz report dated October 12, 2026. At the same time, its developers have been told to adopt an "AI-first" production model, a move that is already sparking debate among players and developers.

Key points:

  • Epic's Marvel and Star Wars shooter has been delayed from its original March 2027 target.
  • No new release date had been announced as of October 12, 2026.
  • Developers were instructed to use an AI-first model built around Anthropic's Claude.
  • Many staff were reportedly shocked and doubtful about the plan.

Epic Games delays the Marvel and Star Wars shooter: the details

According to Quartz, the game is being made in collaboration with Disney and was originally scheduled for March 2027. Reports describe it as a multiplayer shooter with characters from the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, both owned by Disney.

As of October 12, 2026, no new release date has been announced. The game itself has not been publicly revealed to players.

Quartz and Esports.gg report that Epic Games underestimated both the headcount and the timeline the project would need.

The AI-first mandate and "no hand-written code"

According to an internal message reviewed by Bloomberg, developers were instructed to adopt an "AI-first" production model. The announcement was shared during a video call in early October 2026.

A game director reportedly told staff there would be "no more hand-written code", and that all artwork would be "generated with full AI workflows". Developers are to use Anthropic's Claude tool, with humans managing and guiding the output.

Kotaku reports that the news shocked many developers. Staff questioned how errors in AI-generated work would be handled and expressed doubt that the initiative would succeed.

What Epic's leadership has said

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney was quoted by Video Games Chronicle:

We have a huge pivot underway here at Epic, moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration.

Jake Jones, Epic Games communications director, said: "We're embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do".

Esports.gg and Slashdot describe this as the first time a major video game company has attempted to build a title primarily with AI.

Background: Disney, Fortnite and the layoffs

According to Video Games Chronicle, Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic Games in 2024 to support a multi-game partnership. This shooter is part of that collaboration.

Kotaku reports that Epic laid off approximately 1,000 employees in March 2026, citing slower Fortnite sales as a contributing factor. Sweeney has also previously endorsed generative AI and pushed for AI integration across Unreal Engine.

What it means for players

For now, there is little for players to act on: the game is unannounced, there is no new release date, and the sources do not mention platforms or pricing. Availability in Vietnam has not been announced either.

What is worth watching is how Epic handles quality when much of the art and code comes from AI. Staff concerns about error handling show this is still an open experiment.

For more on AI in game making, see our piece on Google and Unity launching Playground, a text-prompt game creation platform.

What comes next

Epic has not shared a new schedule. We will update this story when official information about a release date or the project's workflow becomes available.

FAQ

When will Epic's Marvel and Star Wars shooter be released?

That is unknown. It was originally set for March 2027, but no new date had been announced as of October 12, 2026.

Which AI tool is Epic using for the game?

Reports say developers are instructed to use Anthropic's Claude, with humans managing and guiding the output.

Has the game been officially announced?

No. The game has not been announced or shown publicly, so current details come from media reports.