Fortnite is leveraging artificial intelligence to assist in creating its cosmetic skins, which cost players up to £15 each, sparking widespread backlash from the gaming community. Michael Beckwith, Games News Reporter, published this story on June 16, 2026, at 5:18pm, with an update at the same time.
Epic Games' AI Integration
Epic Games has been open about its support for generative AI. CEO Tim Sweeney previously stated that requiring developers to disclose AI use in online stores is pointless because 'AI will be involved in nearly all future production.' The company has already incorporated AI artwork into Fortnite, upsetting some players, and in April announced plans for AI-powered characters with unscripted dialogue and interactions.
AI in Skin Creation
In a recent YouTube video, two Epic representatives demonstrated their art concepting process. They showed how they design a new character, such as a falconer lady, by taking hand-drawn sketches and rendering them in 3D using an in-house AI tool called Gen Media Bridge. This step seems unnecessary, as developers have manually converted 2D drawings to 3D models for years before generative AI became prevalent.
Despite a prompt asking the AI not to alter the original design, it added extra details like a skull on the character's pouch, which had to be manually removed—negating any time saved. Epic acknowledges the contentious nature of AI in art but insists that 'the creative control remains in the hands of the creator.' The video states, 'He just gets ahead in the timeline so he can focus on honing in on the design and crafting it exactly how he wants it.'
Cost and Layoffs
Fortnite is free to play, but Epic charges for cosmetic skins via V-Bucks. Skin prices vary, with high-end skins costing 2,000 V-Bucks. A pack of 2,400 V-Bucks costs £17.49, making a top skin around £15. In March, Epic laid off 1,000 employees, partly because the game isn't turning a profit. The use of AI may be a cost-cutting measure.
Fan Reaction
The video received overwhelmingly negative comments. One user, TheFlyingSailorYT, asked, 'So how many creatives did you lay off before doing this bit of AI bro propaganda?' bradsmithVR noted, 'I like how you specifically asked the AI not to change the character’s design and it ignored you and added a skull to her pouch for no reason at all. What’s the point of using this tech if it will ignore prompts?' Another user, its-just-babs, said, 'No one wants AI dogs*** in the game. Hire actual artists and designers. Your company is worth millions. Do better.'
This backlash mirrors similar criticism faced by Crystal Dynamics for using AI in the upcoming Tomb Raider remake, where they assured that AI-assisted assets were refined by humans to maintain artistic vision.
