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Epic Games has reportedly delayed an unannounced game in its Disney collaboration and asked developers to use more AI tools. Bloomberg reported the news on October 12, 2026, in a story carried by Yahoo Finance; the available reporting does not establish a new release date, a definitive reason for the delay, or that the broader Disney–Epic partnership is delayed or canceled.
What was delayed—and what was not announced
The reported delay concerns one upcoming, unnamed game within Disney and Epic’s wider collaboration. It is not evidence that the entire partnership has been postponed, and no new date for that specific game is established in the available reporting.
When the companies announced their partnership in February 2024, Epic described a broader plan: an “all-new open, persistent and social universe” connected to Fortnite. The intended environment would bring together stories and characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and other properties, and would be powered by Unreal Engine. Disney also said it would invest $1.5 billion to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games alongside the multiyear project. That announcement outlined the collaboration’s scope; it did not set a release date for one named game.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →| Question | Broader Disney–Epic collaboration | Reported delayed game |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | A planned open, persistent, social universe connected to Fortnite | One upcoming, unannounced game within the relationship |
| What is confirmed? | Epic’s 2024 public announcement and Disney’s investment announcement | Bloomberg’s October 12, 2026 report, relayed through Yahoo Finance |
| Release timing | No release date established in the cited announcement | No revised date established in the available report |
| AI evidence | Epic has separately described an experimental AI feature for Fortnite creators | Bloomberg reported developers were asked to use more AI tools; specific tools are not established |
What the report says about AI
Bloomberg’s report, attributed to people familiar with the project, says Epic asked developers working on the game to use more AI tools. Epic communications director Jake Jones was quoted in the Yahoo Finance mirror as saying: “We’re embracing AI-accelerated development, led by Epic developers who are the visionaries and creative drivers for everything we do.” This is the reported production direction, not a detailed account of how the game is being made.
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The available information does not name the tools used on the delayed game or show which development tasks they may support. It also does not establish that AI use caused the delay. “AI-first” therefore goes further than the evidence: the report describes a request for more AI use, while the quoted statement frames development as AI-accelerated and led by Epic developers.
Why was the game delayed?
The sources available for this report do not establish a definitive cause. They do not provide a revised schedule, explain what work remains, or tie the delay to a specific production problem. The reported request to use more AI tools and the delay are both part of Bloomberg’s account, but that alone does not show that one caused the other.
Epic’s March 24, 2026 employee memo addressed a separate matter: the company’s layoffs. Epic said those layoffs were not related to AI, citing instead reduced Fortnite engagement beginning in 2025, spending exceeding revenue and broader industry challenges. The memo identified Fortnite experiences and developer tools as priorities. It neither confirms nor explains the later-reported delay, and its statement about layoffs should not be read as a denial of the October report’s account of a project’s development approach.
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Does the delay mean the Disney Fortnite metaverse is canceled?
No cancellation is established by the available information. Bloomberg’s report describes a delay to one unnamed game, not the termination of the overall collaboration. The 2024 announcement described a multiyear universe connected to Fortnite, rather than a single product with a publicly announced release schedule.
Disney continued to announce Fortnite creator activity in 2026. In June, it said The Simpsons would join Fortnite’s IP Partner Program, with an official UEFN-ready toolkit planned for later in the year. Disney also reported that nearly 8 million players entered community-built Star Wars islands in the first 72 hours after the toolkit launch. It reported 6.53 million plays for Galactic Siege and 3.37 million for Escape Vader during each experience’s first six days. Those figures are Disney’s reported totals, not independent measurements. These creator initiatives show activity around Disney properties in Fortnite, but they do not confirm the delayed game’s schedule or status.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Epic already using AI in Fortnite?
Epic has publicly described an experimental AI feature for Fortnite creators, but that is separate evidence from the report about the Disney collaboration game. In April 2026, Epic said its Conversations feature could power AI-driven Fortnite characters. At that time, islands using Conversations could not yet be published.
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Epic said Google Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite processed audio inputs and generated text, while ElevenLabs converted responses to speech. The feature announcement does not establish that the delayed Disney game uses Conversations, Gemini, ElevenLabs or the same systems. Nor does it reveal how the reported request for more AI tools would affect the game’s design, staffing or release timing.
What is still unknown
- The game’s name, platforms and intended release window.
- A revised release date or a confirmed explanation for the delay.
- Which AI tools, if any, are being used on the project and for what tasks.
- Whether the delay changes any other part of the wider Disney–Epic collaboration.
Because the underlying Bloomberg page was not accessible and the available text came through Yahoo Finance, project-specific details here should be understood as reported information, not as a complete official project announcement.
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