World: Epic Games, the company behind the popular video game Fortnite, is making a major shift towards artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate game development, CEO Tim Sweeney announced on Monday.
The US-based gaming company is reorganising its development teams to make greater use of AI, with Sweeney saying the goal is to help employees create more and better content rather than simply produce the same output with fewer workers.
“We’re moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration,” Sweeney wrote on X.
He added that the company wanted to extend the benefits of AI to teams working with Unreal Engine, Epic’s game-development software used by both its own developers and third-party creators.
Epic Says AI Will Support Creativity
The announcement comes amid growing debate over AI’s impact on artistic and creative industries, including concerns about jobs, originality and the role of human creators.
Sweeney said Epic’s strategy was intended to help the company adapt to technological changes and enable developers to work more efficiently.
He said the move would help Epic navigate the AI revolution, support other game developers and produce better code and content more quickly.
Responding to criticism from a user on X who questioned whether he understood concerns about AI, Sweeney defended the company’s approach.
He said Epic’s responsibility as a provider of tools and technology to much of the gaming industry was to develop products suited to current needs and future technological changes. He added that he was optimistic about AI’s potential to empower creators.
Announcement Follows Major Layoffs
Epic’s renewed focus on AI comes around six months after the company announced plans to cut more than 1,000 jobs.
At the time, the company attributed the layoffs to broader business challenges, including slower growth, rather than AI.
The latest announcement highlights how Epic is now positioning AI as a key part of its development strategy as the gaming industry explores ways to accelerate production and improve its tools.
However, the growing adoption of AI remains controversial among developers and other creative professionals.
According to PC Gamer, more than 85 per cent of video game developers in Japan use AI, compared with 36 per cent of developers in North America.
Disney Collaboration Reportedly Delayed
Epic is also reportedly delaying the release of a game being developed in collaboration with Disney, according to a Bloomberg report published on Monday.
The game, which was expected to launch in March, reportedly features characters from Marvel and Star Wars. Epic has also told employees to adopt an “AI first” approach to development, the report said.
Epic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
