Epic Games AI-driven development transition

Epic Games is undergoing a strategic transition toward an ‘AI-first’ production model. This shift was initially highlighted by the indefinite delay of a collaborative shooter project with Disney involving Marvel and Star Wars characters. The company is moving away from traditional development, instructing developers to use AI tools like Anthropic’s Claude to generate code and art assets, while human roles shift toward managing and reviewing AI output.

Following this strategic pivot, Epic Games has released a preview version of its rebuilt Epic Games Launcher for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The company described the development of the launcher as “vibe coding,” a process of using generative AI instructions rather than manual programming. Epic stated, “Programming is hard. So, instead of doing that, we vibe coded a new Epic Games Launcher that’s way faster and more responsive than the current one.”

The new launcher reportedly offers faster startup speeds than Steam, with company-commissioned testing showing a cold start time of 5.47 seconds compared to Steam’s 10.07 seconds, and a library that loads up to 30 times faster. However, Valve has responded to these performance claims by releasing a Steam Client update designed to improve its own startup performance and narrow the gap.

As part of this rollout, Epic is working to bring Fortnite to Linux. This requires a fundamental overhaul of its Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) system, referred to as “EAC Linux v2.” This new security architecture will utilize features like Secure Boot, signed kernels, and TPM 2.0 to mitigate cheating risks. While the launcher is now available on Linux, Fortnite remains unplayable on the platform until the anti-cheat system is fully implemented. Due to these strict hardware requirements, devices like the Steam Deck are not currently supported for native Fortnite play.