Fortnite developer, layoff maker, and generative AI fiddler Epic Games has unveiled its new Epic Games Launcher in preview mode. The headline news? The company claims it's vibe-coded.
"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, and has a new look," reads the announcement post. "This first release is light on features. Think of it as a speedboat and not a yacht! Though it does have advanced digital commerce technology such as a shopping cart."
Epic said its new launcher is "lighter, quicker, and [more] connected," delivering faster cold starts and snappier navigation between library and store. It also, apparently, delivers an improved library and download experience, letting people find games faster and monitor their downloads.
Somewhat divisively, Epic boss Tim Sweeney this week said the company is retooling for "maximum AI acceleration" seven months after laying off 1,000 workers. In the memo announcing the cuts, Epic confirmed that Fortnite remains "one of the most successful games in the world."
As noted by Bloomberg, the company has purportedly told developers working on an upcoming Star Wars shooter to adopt an "AI first" production model. As part of that pivot, staff have reportedly been instructed to abandon "hand-written code" and deploy art "generated with full AI workflows."
Chris is an award-winning reporter with over a decade of experience covering the video game industry. He was formerly news editor at Game Developer and is currently the founder and editor of this resplendent website.
