By Online Games VIP Editorial
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Epic's unannounced Star Wars and Marvel shooter has reportedly been delayed as the studio pushes an AI-first development approach, IGN reports.
Epic Games has reportedly delayed its unannounced Star Wars and Marvel crossover shooter while the company changes how its developers are expected to use artificial intelligence. IGN reports that Bloomberg supplied the details, including the project's schedule change and an internal push toward an AI-first production model.
According to IGN's report on the Bloomberg information, the untitled game had been slated for release in March. Epic has since moved it to an undisclosed date under a new internal release plan that has not been shared publicly. The game has not been formally announced, so its final name, platforms, launch timing, and gameplay details remain unconfirmed.
IGN says Bloomberg reported that Epic developers working on the Star Wars and Marvel project have been encouraged to use Anthropic's Claude AI assistant. The reported process still places human developers in oversight roles, but the extent of the proposed change appears broader than simply offering optional productivity software.
IGN also reports that Bloomberg obtained an internal message from one of the game's directors. As described by IGN, that message called for an end to hand-written code and said the project's art would be produced through full AI workflows. Those details come from the reported internal communication, not from a public technical specification for the game. Epic has not publicly outlined which systems, assets, or stages of development would use AI.
Epic communications director Jake Jones told Bloomberg, as reported by IGN, that the company is adopting AI-accelerated development while Epic developers remain the creative leaders behind its work. That statement confirms the company's stated direction, but it does not confirm that every part of this particular project will be made with AI or explain how the reported internal instructions will be implemented.
IGN reports that Bloomberg's sources described Epic's developers as stunned by the apparent scale of the AI push. The same report said Epic had underestimated the time and resources required to develop the crossover shooter. Progress was reportedly slower than expected, and the schedule change followed that shortfall. Epic has not announced a replacement date or explained publicly how the new production plan will affect the game's scope.
The shooter and its Disney context
The project is described in the supplied reporting as an unannounced shooter combining Star Wars and Marvel characters. That is the central confirmed description available, but there is no public title, trailer, feature list, platform announcement, or formal release plan to assess. Players should therefore treat comparisons with other extraction or hero shooters as context rather than confirmation of the game's design.
IGN connects the new report with an earlier Bloomberg report from the same year about an Epic extraction shooter featuring Disney characters. That earlier report described the concept as similar to Embark Studios' Arc Raiders. The available source does not establish whether that extraction-shooter report and the Star Wars-Marvel project are definitively the same game, although the shared Disney connection makes the relationship worth watching.
Epic's relationship with Disney provides important background. According to IGN's account, Disney purchased a $1.5 billion stake in the Fortnite developer in 2024. The investment reinforced the companies' relationship, but the source does not say that it guaranteed a specific game, release date, or creative direction. IGN also notes that Disney recently rejected claims that it was considering an outright acquisition of Epic.
Beyond additional Fortnite crossovers, the full scope of the companies' collaboration has not yet been made public. That leaves a significant gap between the strategic partnership and this reported project. A formal announcement would need to clarify whether the shooter is intended as a standalone release, a live service, a Fortnite-connected experience, or something else. None of those possibilities is confirmed by the current record.
Analysis: For players, the most immediate issue is not the use of a named AI tool by itself. The practical concern is whether the production change affects the game's stability, identity, and ability to reach a coherent playable form. A delayed project may need more time because its technology, content pipeline, or design has not yet reached the intended standard. In this case, IGN's account links the delay to slower-than-expected progress and to Epic's effort to reorganize development, but it does not provide hands-on evidence about the game's quality.
A production model that relies more heavily on automated code and art workflows could, in theory, help teams move from ideas to prototypes faster. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney argued in posts on X, as reported by IGN, that the company's pivot is intended to help developers make more and better work rather than simply accomplish the same work with fewer employees. He also said the aim was to shorten the time between an idea and playtesting, arguing that games can suffer when their systems go too long without being tested.
That is the company's stated rationale, not a demonstrated result for this shooter. Faster prototyping would only benefit players if the resulting game receives enough design review, testing, performance work, and creative direction. The reported internal instructions about code and art raise questions about how human oversight will function, but the source does not answer them. It also does not establish whether AI-generated material will appear in the final release.
The delay therefore matters in two ways. First, it means anyone waiting for a Star Wars and Marvel shooter has no reliable launch window. Second, it makes this project an early test of whether Epic's new production philosophy can address development delays without creating new concerns about consistency or authorship. That second point is analysis based on the reported strategy, not a confirmed assessment of the game.
While Epic's crossover shooter remains unannounced and its schedule is unsettled, the supplied catalog includes earlier Star Wars games for players looking for an available way to return to that universe. These are not substitutes for the reported project, and the catalog does not provide a connection between them and Epic's planned game.
The next meaningful evidence would be a formal announcement from Epic or Disney. That announcement could confirm the game's name, genre details, platforms, release plan, and whether Marvel and Star Wars will appear together in the way the reports suggest. It could also settle whether the project described as an extraction shooter is the same title as the reported crossover shooter.
A revised release window is another key milestone. IGN reports that the original March timing has been abandoned, but the source does not identify the year, the replacement date, or the length of the delay. Until Epic publishes a schedule, reports about a possible launch should be treated as unconfirmed.
Players should also watch for clearer information about the AI workflow. Epic may eventually explain whether these tools are being used for prototypes, programming assistance, final art, or a wider range of production tasks. Any public statement on staffing, crediting, quality control, or human review would help distinguish the company's broad AI strategy from the specific requirements of this game.
For now, the confirmed picture is limited but consequential: IGN reports that Bloomberg tied the secret Star Wars and Marvel shooter to a delayed March plan, slower-than-expected development, and an Epic-wide push toward AI-assisted production. The title, release timing, platforms, and final form remain unknown, and there is no basis yet for treating the reported game as close to launch.