AI art is entering video games and players aren’t loving it

AI-generated artworks are gaining momentum in game development, stirring up drama wherever it’s spotted. Is there anything that can be done about this trend?
Zombie Santa reaching for a gift
(Image via WwwWario on Reddit)

A new Call of Duty season drops, you see some shiny new cosmetics, and part with a few bucks to get them. No biggie—that’s something millions of players do every once in a while.

Although it’s debatable whether people would be willing to spend money on AI-generated assets, the chances of encountering such art in games seem to be growing every year.

AI art is gaining momentum in video games

The above example isn’t entirely hypothetical, as Call of Duty has lately come under scrutiny for AI art. One of the loading screens in Season 1 Reloaded depicting a zombie Santa was clearly made with the help of artificial intelligence—given that it shows a character with six fingers on one hand holding a present with a weird ribbon that reeks of AI gibberish.

Some of the other Black Ops 6 artwork that’s currently suspected of being AI-generated includes a few images attached to the Merry Mayhem event, one of which incorporates a bloody handprint belonging to—again—a six-fingered hand.

Back in early 2024, Square Enix confirmed that its Splatoon rival Foamstars also uses AI art. Specifically, the developers relied on Midjourney to generate some of the game’s many assets.

Around that time is when EA raised some eyebrows with the announcement of Apex Legends crossing over with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The trailer unveiling this collaboration showed clear signs of AI involvement, such as backward fingers and some bizarre clothing that appeared to merge with the characters wearing it.

For now, the examples of generative AI use in video games largely seem to be limited to live-service titles that are on a strict content release schedule, as well as marketing materials. But solutions of this sort are definitely gaining momentum, with a recent study predicting that generative AI gaming applications will grow tenfold over the following decade, developing into an $11.1 billion industry by 2033.

Gamers push back on AI art

Besides showing that AI is notoriously bad at drawing hands, the recent examples of AI use in video games have all shown that fans have a pretty strong dislike for this kind of “art”.

Some players have called the six-fingered artworks found in Black Ops 6 ““”embarrassing,” arguing that an industry giant the size of Activision can surely afford to pay artists to make some proper imagery without cutting corners.

Similar pushback emerged online in response to the Apex Legends & FINAL FANTASY VII trailer, which prompted no shortage of fans calling Respawn Entertainment “lazy.”

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AI has also sparked some review-bombing activity in the indie space, with fans citing ethical concerns and perceived laziness as reasons for leaving negative reviews on games that incorporate it.

Developers are divided

Using AI art currently seems to be a shortcut for getting some heat as a game developer. Nevertheless, some big players in the industry appear eager to continue embracing it. In his latest New Year’s letter, Square Enix President Takashi Kiryu said his company plans “to be aggressive in applying AI” across its development and publishing operations moving forward.

Some smaller developers have also hopped on the AI art bandwagon. Among them are the creators of Champions of Otherworldly Magic, who state they employ a single AI artist for all their asset needs.

They justify this choice by claiming that “no one matches his level” of producing high-quality artwork with “no extra fingers” at scale.

While there’s no shortage of AI art supporters among game devs, it’s not like the entire industry has already wholeheartedly embraced such tech. In a recent interview, Warhorse Studios co-founder Daniel Vávra said that he’s not fundamentally against AI, but still sees plenty of half-baked applications that annoy him.

“It actually pisses me off when someone uses it, when you can see it,” he remarked, referring to obvious, “embarrassing” mistakes in the vein of having too many fingers on a hand.

AI art will stay in the mix

Despite some vocal opposition, AI art in video games seems to be here to stay. While its long-term impact on the industry remains uncertain, some obvious changes are already underway.

For instance, there’s a decent chance that game developers will eventually be forced to disclose the use of all AI content. Steam has already implemented this policy in early 2024, and more storefronts could follow suit.

However, the practical enforceability of such rules is questionable. After all, Black Ops 6 has just recently pushed out some obvious AI content without disclosing its usage on its Steam page, but Valve has not acted on this clear violation of its policy—yet.

AI art even seems likely to influence games that don’t use the technology. Specifically, the glossy, smooth, and hyper-detailed style typically associated with AI-generated artwork is effectively already off-limits for developers who don’t want to be accused of cutting corners.

On a brighter note, AI art has the potential to allow game developers to iterate more quickly. Asset creation is commonly cited as one of the biggest bottlenecks in game development, and generative tools are a tempting method for tackling this issue. AI art could help counter the industry-wide trend of game development cycles getting longer.

While many fans currently voice their dislike of AI-generated art, both the tools and the artists using them will improve over time. Whether that’s a future gamers will accept remains debatable, but it seems inevitable all the same.

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