'Our humble goal is to survive the AI revolution' says Epic Games CEO, as its Star Wars and Marvel crossover pivots to 'AI first' development

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced that the company has received instructions to shift its focus to AI first development, as an unannounced Star Wars and Marvel shooter in the works is delayed indefinitely. The new AI first approach involves implementing tools like Anthropic's Claude and generating art using full AI workflows.

Sweeney stated that Epic's aim is to enable developers to build more and better content, rather than reducing the workforce. The CEO acknowledged that consumer attitudes towards generative AI are mixed, but emphasized that the company is designing for the present and future. Sweeney expressed optimism about AI's potential to accelerate development, predicting significant efficiency improvements within a year.

He also discussed the impact of AI on game design, highlighting the faster time from idea to playtesting. Despite the challenges, Sweeney believes that projects like a Star Wars x Marvel crossover shooter made predominantly with generative AI could be a fascinating experiment.