NRT briefing
Fortnite-maker Epic Games confirms 'huge pivot' towards using AI
Based on reporting by BBC News.
The Brief
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has confirmed the company is making a "huge pivot" towards using artificial intelligence in its game development, announcing on social media that developers are being moved to "retool for maximum AI acceleration". The announcement follows a Bloomberg report that Epic has delayed a collaboration with Disney featuring characters from Star Wars and Marvel, and that developers were asked to use AI tools to finish the game, with directors telling staff "no more hand-written code" and that all art should be "generated with full AI workflows".
Sweeney did not publicly comment on the Disney collaboration but said the purpose of increased AI use was not "to do the same stuff with fewer people" but to give developers tools to build "more" and "better stuff", which he called "empowering" for creators.
Responding to criticism on X, Sweeney said "much of the room wants it to be 2016, but it's not", and that Epic's job is to "design for the present that is and the future that will soon be". The news comes six months after Epic laid off over 1,000 employees, which Sweeney attributed to a "downturn" in Fortnite engagement rather than AI.
Game designer Lisha Howen, who does not work for Epic, said she "isn't completely against AI" but disagrees with it being used to fully generate artwork, as it is "making people lose their jobs and lose their income".
NRT commentary
How We See It
Tim Sweeney's blunt response to critics — that "much of the room wants it to be 2016, but it's not" — captures the tension between nostalgia for traditional game development and the economic pressures of the modern industry. While Sweeney frames AI adoption as empowering creators, the reported directive to eliminate "hand-written code" and generate all art through "full AI workflows" suggests a more sweeping change than simply giving developers optional tools.
The timing is notable: six months after layoffs, Epic's pivot to AI may be a survival strategy, but it raises legitimate concerns about the value of human creativity and the already precarious job market for game artists. Whether this "huge pivot" results in "better stuff" as Sweeney promises, or simply cheaper and more generic content, remains to be seen.
What is clear is that the debate over AI in creative industries is not going away, and Epic's moves will likely set a precedent for other major studios.
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