Epic Games announced in a Wednesday blog post that a preview build of its new Epic Games Store launcher is available for download, claiming it is faster than Steam in several areas. By Epic's own admission, the launcher was "vibe coded."
Epic has revealed a new version of the Epic Games Launcher that it says was built with generative AI assistance, making it faster and more responsive than the current one with a new look. Epic Games Store VP and GM Martin Keely told IGN that AI was used as a tool in the development process, letting a small team rewrite the code base and ship faster across platforms, supporting Windows and Mac with a Linux version to follow. He said the AI use focused on code efficiency and architecture rather than artwork or design style, which remained with Epic's design group.
Epic announced it is rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat for Linux as EAC Linux v2, with a pilot planned in Fortnite first. Once EAC v2's effectiveness is validated, Epic says it will make it available to more game developers so they can bring their multiplayer games to Linux players too.
Epic says it intends to bring Fortnite to Linux, but first it is rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat, and will launch the game via the Epic Games Launcher once EAC Linux v2 works with a critical mass of distro maintainers. Epic says the Steam Deck does not currently support the new EAC Linux v2 solution and that it is talking with Valve, while game security engineering director Rick Deist said Epic is investigating compatibility with Steam Deck and SteamOS devices. Epic has also released a new Epic Games Store client that includes a Linux version for the first time.
Fortnite is coming to Linux once Epic improves Easy Anti-Cheat
Epic says its new 'vibe coded' Epic Games Store launcher is faster than Steam https://www.pcgamer.com/software/platforms/epic-says-its-new-vibe-coded-epic-games-store-launcher-is-faster-than-steam/
Epic's Pivot to AI-Driven Game Development Is Somehow Much Worse Than You May Realise https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2026/10/epics-pivot-to-ai-driven-game-development-is-somehow-much-worse-than-you-may-realise
Bloomberg reported that Epic Games' Star Wars and Marvel shooter with Disney has been delayed over development progress and staffing shortages, and the project lead told the team production would move to an AI-first model with code no longer hand-written and art generated through a full AI workflow. Epic cut about 1,000 roles in March 2026, 20 percent of its staff, the same month the Star Wars project slipped. The game is led by an internal Epic team for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with no title or release plan announced.
Goal is 'to survive the AI revolution' says Epic Games CEO, as its Star Wars shooter goes 'AI first'
An unannounced Star Wars and Marvel crossover shooter at Epic Games has been delayed indefinitely from its planned March 2027 release, with staff told to adopt an AI-first production model using tools such as Anthropic's Claude, according to Bloomberg. CEO Tim Sweeney said on X that Epic has a huge pivot underway to retool developers for maximum AI acceleration, and that the company's modest aim is to survive the AI revolution. He said current AI efficiency gains range from 20% in the most technical areas of Unreal Engine development to 5x in areas like web development. Epic Games laid off over 1,000 employees in March.
Bloomberg reports that Epic Games is moving to an AI-first development model for its collaboration with Disney, with AI models writing all code and guiding all artwork while human developers manage the generated assets. The $1.5 billion partnership announced in early 2024 had planned a Marvel- and Star Wars-themed shooter for March 2027, but the project is now delayed indefinitely. Epic said it is embracing AI-accelerated development, and CEO Tim Sweeney said the aim is to let teams build more and better content for everyone using Unreal.
Why this: Epic's Disney shooter shifting to AI-led development and being delayed indefinitely offers a look at how a major studio's pipeline and schedule are changing.
Epic Games has delayed an unannounced shooter crossover game featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters, which was previously slated for March 2027 and now has no new release date. According to Bloomberg, the Fortnite and Unreal Engine maker is pushing the game's developers to use generative AI tools like Anthropic's Claude to complete development.
Epic Games has delayed a Disney game and told developers to go AI first. The report comes from GamesIndustry, which links to https://www.gamesindustry.biz/epic-games-delays-disney-game-and-tells-developers-to-go-ai-first.
Epic Games has delayed its Disney collaboration shooter, which had been slated for March, with no new release date confirmed. According to Bloomberg, developers were asked to build the game with AI tools including Anthropic's Claude, and a director said there would be no more hand-written code and that art would be generated with full AI workflows. Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic in 2024 for an equity stake, and this shooter was to be the first of several games in their partnership.
Bloomberg reports that Epic Games has told developers to adopt AI-first development on an unannounced shooter made with Disney, with no more handwritten code and all art generated through full AI workflows using tools such as Anthropic's Claude, while humans manage and guide the work. The title is said to feature Marvel and Star Wars characters and to have progressed slower than expected, partly because Epic underestimated the staff needed, and the internal message reportedly surprised some developers last week. An Epic spokesperson said the company is embracing AI-accelerated development, and CEO Tim Sweeney said Epic has a huge pivot underway to retool developers for maximum AI acceleration, aiming to build more and better content rather than do the same work with fewer people.
Bloomberg reports that Epic Games has moved its Disney shooter featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters to an AI-first production model, telling developers to use Anthropic's Claude models, stop hand-writing code, and generate art through full AI workflows. Epic communications director Jake Jones said the company is embracing AI-accelerated development. Many staff on the project were confused and shocked by the policy introduced last week, and the unannounced game, previously set for March 2027, has been delayed due to slow progress and understaffed teams.
Bloomberg reports that Epic Games is going all in on AI, with an unannounced shooter featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters adopting an AI-first production model. A director told staff there would be no more hand-written code and said all art for the game would be generated with full AI workflows.
Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reports that Epic's collaboration with Disney, a shooter featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters, has been delayed and retooled as an AI-first production. It was planned for March, but no new launch target has been communicated to the team. An internal message says staff must fully use Anthropic's Claude model, with art generated through full AI workflows and no more hand-written code, while Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said on social media that a huge pivot is underway to retool for maximum AI acceleration.
Bloomberg reports that Epic Games has delayed a Disney project, an unannounced Star Wars and Marvel shooter. The report also says Epic asked developers to use more AI.
Bloomberg reports that Epic Games has delayed an unannounced Disney project, an unannounced Star Wars and Marvel shooter. In an internal message reviewed by Bloomberg, one of the game's directors told staff there would be no more hand-written code and that all art for the game would be generated with full AI workflows.
GameLook reports that overseas AI game-creation platform Astrocade announced 10 million monthly active users, double the 5 million MAU four months earlier, with users generating playable content from natural language; it raised 56 million dollars in May from investors including Sequoia, Sea, Google's AI Future Fund and Nvidia. Tencent's Huya listed the AI game generator BinkBink on GooglePlay, Google partnered with Unity on the AI game platform Playground, and Meta unveiled Horizon Create and Horizon Studio at Meta Connect 2026. The article notes none of these platforms has settled on monetization, with Astrocade saying it is focused on user growth and will consider revenue growth sometime next year.
The EU announced action against ten companies including Activision Blizzard, Mojang, Ubisoft, Riot Games, Crytek, Supercell, InnoGames, King, Plarium and Playrix, led by the Italian Competition Authority, over platform-specific virtual currencies that rarely match the price players want to pay. The press release also cites virtual currency bundles, dark patterns, inadequate parental controls and a lack of assistance when accounts are blocked. Epic has said that starting this month players can spend exact amounts of V-Bucks on specific purchases, except on PlayStation.
Big serious news about the Epic v Apple apeel at the Supreme Court, from a big serious news publication on the internet!
On October 7, Google and Unity announced a strategic partnership to launch an AI game development platform for next-generation interactive entertainment. Google's experimental Playground went live the same day, letting users generate, customize and share playable games from natural-language prompts without writing code, limited to US users aged 18 and over, with weekly tokens and a model lineup of Gemini, Nano Banana and Lyria. Unity will plug Unity Spark into Playground later this year; the web platform runs on the Unity engine with professional-grade mechanics and high-fidelity 3D, and during testing projects cannot be downloaded, exported to desktop Unity or sold.
Interestingly, Fab seller revenue increased significantly in September. AI acceleration has led to more demand for content, and many devs are using AI assistants to build scenes including buying building blocks from Fab.
The FBI arrested a 29-year-old Alabama Fortnite player after Epic reported threats he made over voice chat. According to the affidavit, Edward Frith, who used the username "WagesOfNinja," said he wanted to "literally murder somebody" and thought about killing "every day." He was indicted for violating Interstate Threatening Communications on September 23 and pleaded not guilty on September 24.
Epic Games has quietly replaced a piece of in-game artwork in Fortnite after fans spotted a Google Gemini AI watermark in its original version. The artwork belonged to the music track "Meow" by Ironmouse, Sleeping Forest & HalaCG, which was added to Fortnite last month. The Gemini watermark was present in the track's original art that Epic Games simply incorporated in-game, not created itself.
Walt Disney Company president and CCO Dana Walden has dismissed ongoing rumours of an Epic Games buyout, saying "those are not the conversations we are having right now"
Disney president and CCO Dana Walden has dismissed rumours of an Epic Games buyout, saying "those are not the conversations we are having right now." She said the two companies remain focused on upcoming launches to demonstrate the value of their partnership, following Disney's $1.5 billion equity investment in Epic in 2024. Recent collaboration promoted The Mandalorian and Grogu with a new Fortnite island, Smugglers Gambit, tied to the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run ride at Disneyland.
Disney president and chief creative officer Dana Walden said the company is not currently in talks to acquire Epic Games, though she described the partnership as strong with several launches planned over the next two years. Disney previously acquired a $1.5 billion stake in Epic in early 2024, and speculation about a full acquisition had persisted since then.
The Epic Games Store has revealed its next batch of free games, including System Shock 2's 25th anniversary remaster. The remaster is free alongside the mystery adventure game Buried Stars until October 8, after which Out of Sight and TerraScape will be free to claim until October 15. Players who claim them during the giveaway period can keep them in their libraries.
Disney executive Dana Walden said the company is not currently in talks to acquire Epic Games, though she called the relationship a "great partnership." Disney previously invested more than $1.5 billion in Epic for an equity stake, and the two are working together on "transformational" new games with multiple launches planned over the next two years. Reports have suggested some Disney executives want to buy Epic, while others reportedly believe it would be a bad idea.
Two Xbox games are set to shut down their servers across October and November 2026, according to a Pure Xbox roundup. Rocket Racing, playable inside Fortnite, goes offline on October 1, 2026 for all Xbox consoles, while Call of Duty: Warzone shuts down only on Xbox One and PS4 when Season 1 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 begins in late October or early November, with the date still to be determined. The piece also notes that Sociable Soccer 25 servers close on September 28 and the Xbox 360 version of Toy Story 3 is delisted on September 29.
Dutch consumer group Stichting Massaschade & Consument (SMC) has filed a class action against Epic Games, alleging it misled young Fortnite players, and is seeking over €100 million in refunds and damages on behalf of Dutch players who played before age 21. SMC cited research in which six in 10 of more than 1,000 Dutch teenagers aged 16 to 19 who bought currencies such as V-Bucks said it did not feel like real money, and half said they regretted a purchase made under time pressure. The group has served Epic a formal notice of liability and offered settlement talks; the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets fined Epic €1,125,000 in 2024 over item shop design, a fine upheld by a Rotterdam court in January 2026, while Epic said it offers parental controls and that the Dutch Fortnite Item Shop has no timer.