AI Will Let Tiny Teams Build Massive Games, Says Tim Sweeney

Tim Sweeney, the founder of Epic Games, believes that very soon, much smaller teams will be able to build video games at the scale of AAA companies. In an interview with IGN, Sweeney said AI prompts will be “a fundamental part” of game engines and will result in “entirely new genres of games invented that weren't possible or practical before” without it.

Sweeney argued that every leap in technology has led to the rise of entirely new video game experiences—and that AI will be no different. He claims teams as small as ten people could create games as large and ambitious as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, with AI handling all dialogue while developers focus on crafting character synopses.

This comes as Epic Games pushes hard on AI integration, recently adding an AI-powered Darth Vader to Fortnite, capable of custom dialogue and gameplay-aware interactions. The feature uses a recreated version of James Earl Jones’ voice—licensed from his family after his death in 2024—sparking debates around AI ethics and the use of posthumous likenesses.

Still, Sweeney maintains that AI's overall impact is positive, enhancing both creativity and productivity—though he acknowledges the current landscape is marred by companies mass-scraping content from others without consent.