At State of Unreal 2025, Epic’s CEO Tim Sweeney shared what he thinks about AI changing how video games are getting made. Speaking during an IGN interview, Sweeney mentioned we might soon hit the stage where just around ten people could build something as huge as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. All that, thanks to advanced AI tools taking over the heavy lifting, like writing dialogue or shaping how game worlds respond.
From Character Notes to Full Worlds
Sweeney mentioned that prompts powered by AI are gonna soon be a key piece of how game engines will operate. “They’ll become a part of the engine itself,” he said. And with that, he believes, it’s going to make possible games that before seemed like not really doable.
Game creators won’t really need to write every word anymore. Just putting down some basic things about a character might be enough. The AI can handle the rest, making them feel more alive. “A tiny team might be able to build a game that big, with AI doing all the reacting and speaking,” he explained. “It’s coming very soon.”
AI Is Another Big Step, Like 3D Was
Sweeney also compared AI’s arrival with earlier moments of big changes in tech for games. Back when 3D started showing up, it brought things like Doom and Wolfenstein. Afterward, as tech got better, we got battle royale games where hundreds compete at once. Now, he’s saying AI is basically the next major moment like that.
“Each time there’s a big jump in tech, new game types start appearing,” Sweeney said. “Now, that’s AI’s turn to do it.”
Fortnite Already Using AI Characters
Epic’s already testing the potential of AI in games. Recently, Fortnite added an AI-driven Darth Vader NPC. He does more than follow scripts—he reacts smartly, sings, joins, and leaves squads. It’s not static; it changes based on what’s happening in the match.
The voice came from AI tech, recreating James Earl Jones’s voice. Jones passed away in 2024, but his family gave permission. Google’s Gemini 2.0 and ElevenLabs’ voice tools helped make it possible. Even though it was impressive, it brought up questions about using voices from people who aren’t alive anymore.
AI Has Flaws, But It’s Still Helpful
Sweeney admitted the way AI got trained—pulling online content without consent—wasn’t right. “That’s the unfortunate part,” he said. But he believes the tool itself can help creators do more, faster.
Whether small indie devs or big AAA teams, he thinks AI’s going to let everyone create bigger, more polished games. “Developers will need to learn new stuff,” he added, “but it’ll be worth the effort.”
In the end, Sweeney says AI could open up the doors for many more people to create amazing games than ever before.
