Epic Games further doubles down on gen-AI tools for Fortnite, Unreal Engine 6 and more: "Our engineers are no longer writing the bulk of the code"
To no one's surprise, Epic Games has now confirmed that it's tripling down on its gen-AI push and will use the controversial tech on everything from Fortnite to the next iteration of its widely-used game development engine, Unreal Engine 6. Read more
Epic Games has announced its intensified commitment to artificial intelligence (AI) for its gaming platforms, including Fortnite, Unreal Engine 6, and more. According to executive vice president of development Marcus Wassmer, the company is heavily utilizing AI in the development of code and features for Unreal Engine, and will extend this use to the upcoming Unreal Engine 6. Most of the current development is happening within Fortnite, Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), and Unreal Engine 6.
Wassmer explicitly confirmed that Epic is "vibe-coding" aspects of Unreal Engine, meaning their engineers are no longer solely responsible for writing the bulk of the code. However, developers are still guiding the tools to achieve the desired architectural outcomes. The company aims to rapidly release updates with fewer bugs, thanks to the assistance of AI tools.
Epic's stance on AI does not seem to be causing significant backlash, despite concerns from workers about job security, the potential for plagiarism, and environmental impact. Wassmer emphasized that the company is more concerned with moving too slowly than facing AI skepticism. He firmly stated that Epic believes it is not viable to take a half-hearted approach to AI in development.
Instead, they advocate for transparency, sharing best practices with other developers, and utilizing the best tools available at any given time.
Earlier this month, Epic Games demonstrated its AI prowess by coding the latest version of its Epic Games Launcher, aiming for a slight performance advantage over Steam. The company also reported that developers working on a troubled Disney and Marvel shooter were given permission to rely on AI for code and art production. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney sparked an online debate with Valve CEO Gabe Newell over Valve's AI policy, which requires developers to disclose AI usage in their Steam pages.
Sweeney strongly opposed the idea of forcing developers to write political statements that could be used against them.
Written by urgent.news from Eurogamer's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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