# Epic says it "vibe coded" its new launcher, after delaying a Disney shooter to go AI-first

> Epic released a preview of a new launcher it says it vibe coded, and says a Keywords Studios test started it 46% faster than Steam from a cold start.

Published 2026-10-14T08:00:00-07:00 · AI for 3D · Canonical: https://news.littlewolflabs.com/posts/2026-10-14-epic-vibe-coded-launcher

Epic released a preview of a new Epic Games Launcher today, writing: "Programming is hard. So, instead of doing that, we vibe coded a new Epic Games Launcher" ([Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/pc-gaming/epic-games-vibe-codes-new-launcher-because-programming-is-hard-starts-46-percent-faster-than-steam-preview-is-available-now-but-not-recommended-for-competitive-players), [Video Games Chronicle](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/epic-says-its-vibe-coded-its-new-epic-games-launcher-with-ai-because-programming-is-hard/)). Epic says it starts 46% faster than Steam from a cold start, in testing it commissioned from Keywords Studios, and calls the preview "light on features." Two days earlier Bloomberg reported Epic delayed an unannounced Marvel and Star Wars shooter from March 2027 to no date ([GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fortnite-dev-reportedly-delays-new-marvel-star-wars-shooter-amid-ai-acceleration-push/)); staff were reportedly told "no more hand-written code" and art would be "generated with full AI workflows," using tools like Anthropic's Claude.

## Why it matters for Unreal users

Sweeney says the goal is to bring the benefits "to all teams using Unreal." The launcher is the first shipped thing to judge it by. The October 12 note is [Epic's pivot toward AI](/posts/2026-10-12-epic-ai-pivot).