Generative AI
Ongoing coverage on Generative AI.
Latest coverage
Kart Brawler DeGen Rivals Fuels Player UGC Through Unhinged Generative AI Features
DeGen Rivals, a kart-based vehicle battle royale developed by Look Mister, is introducing a user-generated content (UGC) feature called 'The Lab'. This feature utilizes Generative AI to allow players to create unique in-game assets by combining various 'DNA Traits'. The developers emphasize that AI is used solely for this UGC component, not for core game assets, and aims to encourage player experimentation and unique avatar creation.
Video Game Developers Can No Longer Ignore Gamer’s Desires
Generative AI is transforming game development by empowering players with greater agency in creation, from shaping narratives to designing characters and environments. This shift moves players from passive consumers to active collaborators, leading to more personalized and original gaming experiences. Titles like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls already showcase evolving stories influenced by player actions, with companies like GoodAI focusing on AI-driven character creation.
Developer use of generative AI may be declining
New data from the Game Developer collective indicates a significant year-over-year decrease in the reported use of generative AI among developers. This trend suggests a potential decline in the adoption of this technology within the industry.
Developer use of generative AI may be declining
The use of generative AI in game development may be declining, with questions arising about the long-term financial viability of subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. Analyst predictions of 100 million subscribers by March 2026 are being re-evaluated in light of these industry shifts.
You can (sort of) block Grok from editing your uploaded photos
X, formerly Twitter, has introduced a feature allowing users to prevent Elon Musk's xAI chatbot, Grok, from editing their uploaded photos. This comes after Grok generated millions of inappropriate images, including those of children, leading to regulatory investigations in the EU. While the feature offers a basic level of control, critics argue it is a superficial gesture with easy workarounds, and that xAI should implement more robust safety measures or disable image generation until the issues are resolved.
Record Breaking Battlefield 6 Sales Not Enough to Prevent Layoffs
Despite Battlefield 6 achieving record-breaking sales, becoming the best-selling game in the USA for 2025 and selling seven million copies in three days, Electronic Arts has initiated layoffs across its Battlefield Studios. The unspecified number of staff affected are from EA DICE, Criterion, Ripple Effect, and Motive Studio, with the company citing a "realignment" despite the game's commercial success and ongoing post-launch content plans.
MMO Business Roundup: Nintendo’s tariff lawsuit, gen AI in decline, and Discord’s latest security mess
This MMO business roundup covers several industry issues, including Nintendo's lawsuit against U.S. tariffs impacting the Nintendo Switch 2, Clickout Media's alleged use of AI-generated content on acquired gaming sites, and the U.S. government's use of game references in propaganda. It also notes a potential decline in generative AI adoption among game developers and a security flaw in Discord's SDK that exposed private messages.
Developer use of generative AI may be declining
Developer adoption of generative AI tools is declining, with only 29 percent of surveyed developers reporting usage in the first half of 2026, down from 36 percent the previous year. This trend reverses an earlier spike and is accompanied by increased developer concerns about AI's negative impact on game quality and rising development costs.
The Indie Game Awards disqualifies Clair Obscur for its use of GenAI, retracting the game’s two awards – GTOGG
The Indie Game Awards has disqualified Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, retracting its two awards due to the use of generative AI in development, which violates the awards' guidelines. Developer Sandfall Interactive initially claimed no AI was used but later admitted to using placeholder AI-generated textures during production, which were subsequently removed. The awards were given to Sorry We're Closed and Blue Prince respectively.
World of Warcraft: Midnight's lead composer feels 'very lucky and happy that we're not using generative…
Blizzard Entertainment developers have stated that generative AI is not being used in the development of their games, including World of Warcraft and Overwatch. Lead composer for World of Warcraft: Midnight expressed relief at not using generative AI, highlighting concerns about its increasing prevalence in the industry.
The Sunday Papers
This article discusses recent turmoil in games journalism, including job losses at Eurogamer and the use of generative AI by Videogamer to create fake writers. It also touches on broader societal issues, game design philosophies regarding exploration, and the importance of games criticism platforms like Critical Distance.
"Her job is going to be as a palliative care doctor who slides Xbox gently into the night" - original Xbox co-creator thinks Microsoft's reshuffle is all about AI
Original Xbox co-creator Seamus Blackley believes Microsoft's recent leadership changes at Xbox, including the appointment of Asha Sharma as CEO, indicate the company is prioritizing generative AI and phasing out its gaming division. Blackley suggests Sharma's role is to manage the 'sunset' of Xbox as Microsoft focuses its investments on AI technologies, viewing all business units through an AI lens.
Firefox 148.0 arrives with AI controls
Mozilla has released Firefox version 148.0, introducing dedicated controls for generative AI features within the browser's settings. Users can now enable or disable AI translations, PDF image alt text, tab suggestions, link previews, and chatbots. The update also includes improved screen reader support for PDF mathematical formulas, decoupled remote improvements from telemetry, Firefox Backup for Windows 10 users, and new language translations.
Elon Musk's Grok reportedly had an update delayed thanks to its lacklustre Baldur's Gate 3 knowledge
Elon Musk reportedly delayed an update for his AI chatbot Grok due to its insufficient knowledge of the game Baldur's Gate 3. Musk also prioritized Grok learning League of Legends, a game he enjoys. This comes amid reports of xAI's development and Musk's return to CEO roles at his tech companies.
XCOM designer Jake Solomon reveals "Life Sims + The Truman Show" game... while announcing his studio's closure
Midsummer Studios, co-founded by XCOM developer Jake Solomon, is closing down just months after its May 2024 announcement. The studio's debut project, 'Burbank,' described as 'Life Sims + The Truman Show' and featuring generative AI for character interaction, will not be released by the company. Solomon expressed pride in the studio and the game despite the closure.
Night in the Woods publisher Finji accuses TikTok of creating "racist, sexist" and uneditable GenAI ads for its games
Indie publisher Finji has accused TikTok of creating unauthorized, racist, sexist, and sexualized AI-generated advertisements for its games, including the upcoming Usual June. Finji claims they are unable to view or edit these ads and that TikTok's support team has been unhelpful in resolving the issue, despite acknowledging the unauthorized use of AI and misrepresentation of their characters.
Night in the Woods, Tunic Publisher Finji Slams Unauthorized "Racist" TikTok Gen AI Ads
Finji, the publisher of games like Tunic and Night in the Woods, has accused TikTok of running unauthorized and allegedly racist and sexist generative AI advertisements for its titles. Despite Finji opting out of TikTok's ad remix program, the company claims these ads appeared, and their attempts to resolve the issue with TikTok's support have been met with dismissiveness and deflection.
Godot veteran laments 'AI slop,' Highguard's mystery investor, and a big doc for Big Hops - Patch Notes #41
This week's gaming news highlights concerns over generative AI's impact on hardware availability and the influx of low-quality submissions to open-source projects like Godot. Unity claims its AI can now generate full casual games from prompts, while a documentary explores the six-year development of the indie platformer Big Hops. Other news includes Hasbro shutting down its Atomic Arcade studio, Tencent's secret funding of Highguard, a banned Call of Duty ad, ByteDance potentially selling Moonton, and Valve warning of Steam Deck OLED stock issues due to RAM shortages.
Unity says its AI tech will soon be able to 'prompt full casual games into existence'
Unity CEO Matthew Bromberg announced that a new beta of Unity AI, launching in March, will allow developers to create full casual games using only natural language prompts. This AI-driven authoring tool aims to democratize game development for non-coders and increase productivity for all users by leveraging frontier models and Unity's platform context.
