AI-generated thumbnails are taking over Fortnite’s user-generated Discovery feed, and Epic Games says it won’t be policing them anytime soon.
Fortnite’s main menu is often the first impression millions of players have. Increasingly, that screen is flooded with AI-created art, sometimes generic, sometimes questionable. Despite community backlash, Epic is staying hands-off.
“We don’t really care what tool you use to make your thumbnails,” said Dan Walsh, product management director at Epic. “All we care about is whether or not it’s compliant with our rules."
Quick facts
Epic admits AI detection is becoming “increasingly difficult to the point where it’s probably going to become unenforceable.”
No crackdown planned, even as some AI thumbnails reuse copyrighted content or appear low-quality.
Epic does not use AI to generate its own skins or assets, and says it won’t.
Photo by Oberon Copeland @veryinformed.com op Unsplash
Human-first philosophy
Executive VP Saxs Persson reaffirmed that Epic still believes humans create the best results. “Do we feel like we need to start making Fortnite outfits using AI models? No,” he said.
AI art is evolving fast, and so are debates around quality, originality, and ownership. Epic’s choice to let AI thumbnails flood Discovery could shape how generative content gets moderated across the broader creator economy.
Fortnite’s front page might look messier, but Epic’s focus is rule compliance, not the tools.
That means AI art (like it or not) is here to stay.
