Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, shared his view on his X account that advances in AI will expand the possibilities of game development. He noted that projects that were previously impossible to realize due to profitability or resource constraints will now become feasible, expressing his hope that “a new golden age of gaming is on the horizon.”
AI as an “Instant Carmack”: High Hopes for the Future of Coding
According to Sweeney, during the development of Unreal Engine 1, he spent about 30% of his time on serious coding to tackle difficult problems. This included rendering using assembly language, system design, and network processing.
The remaining 70% or so, he said, consisted of entering and organizing vast amounts of code to equip the engine with the necessary features. Even while doing this, he was reportedly thinking about more difficult challenges and planning his next steps.
Reflecting on this work, he recalls that it didn’t feel all that different from today’s “vibe coding” (a method where AI generates code based on natural language instructions). He explains that instead of issuing instructions and checking the results, he was typing the code himself using a keyboard.He stated that he wasn’t surprised by this, as he had always believed it would be a natural progression to delegate such tasks once AI could perform them at a quality on par with humans.
He also remarked, “What surprises me more is that AI has become, so to speak, a ‘make-shift Carmack.’” Drawing a parallel to John Carmack, co-founder of id Software—known for developing titles such as *DOOM* and *Quake*—he praised the AI’s ability to skillfully solve difficult technical challenges.
He expects that once instructions given to AI through design documents and concept art become a more effective means than manually entering code or adjusting 3D model vertices, developers will be able to devote their time to more advanced and valuable technical and creative work.
Epic Games Advances AI Adoption, from Development Workflows to Tools
These remarks come as Epic Games continues its shift toward an AI-focused development framework.
Bloomberg recently reported that the company is developing a new Disney-related shooter using an “AI-first” approach. The report detailed the company’s policy of generating artwork through a fully AI-driven workflow and cited an internal message stating, “We will no longer write hand-coded code.”
On the same day as the report, Sweeney also explained on X that the company is reviewing its staffing and organizational structure to maximize the benefits of AI-accelerated development. However, he emphasized that the goal is not to get the same work done with fewer people, but rather to enable current developers to create “more and better” content and extend those benefits to teams using Unreal Engine.
Integration into development tools is also progressing.Unreal Engine 5.8, released in June 2026, added MCP server support to connect interactive AI and allow it to perform development tasks within the engine. The Epic Games Launcher, which released a preview version on October 14, also highlighted the use of vibe coding.
Meanwhile, there has been backlash against the introduction of generative AI in game development. In June, poncle, the developer of *Vampire Survivors*, announced that it was reconsidering its collaboration with *Fortnite* following reports that Epic Games was using AI to create game assets.
In this post, Mr. Sweeney stated, “What matters is the final product—whether it’s a game or an engine.”
Amid backlash—including the collaboration partner announcing a reevaluation—regarding the use of AI in production, questions are likely to arise about how these results will manifest in titles and development environments, and whether they will be accepted by players and developers.
