Crimson Desert Players Suspect AI-Generated Art Has Made Its Way Into The Game

Crimson Desert launched yesterday to a somewhat chaotic and mixed critical reception. However, that hasn't slowed its sales momentum, with two million players already diving into the world of Pywel. Now, some of those adventurers are reporting what they believe to be AI-generated art assets scattered throughout the game.

Across social media, players have started threads questioning the human origin of certain in-game art, particularly signs and paintings. One example is a painting of two swordsmen featuring strangely awkward angles. Another shows peculiar-looking gentlemen with oddly shaped fingers.

While some might dismiss these as simply quirky artistic choices, a particular painting depicting various men and horses has become a focal point for suspicion. A closer look at the horses' legs reveals anatomical inconsistencies that players argue are telltale signs of generative AI.

Our writer, Brendan Graeber, investigated further and uncovered additional examples that appear strangely 'off' in ways that seem unlikely for a human artist to produce intentionally.

The use of generative AI for creating game assets, especially final published content, has become a contentious topic in the industry over the past year. Several major companies have faced scrutiny, either for confirming AI use or appearing to employ it. Nintendo had to deny allegations of AI-generated billboards in Mario Kart World. Activision has dealt with ongoing criticism over AI assets found in Call of Duty, as has EA with Battlefield. Larian Studios faced significant backlash late last year when an interview revealed their upcoming game, Divinity, was using AI behind the scenes for concept art and placeholder text. The indie game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 even had a Game of the Year award revoked after an AI asset was discovered in its final release build. While these controversies haven't noticeably impacted sales, they have certainly affected public perception.

If these Crimson Desert assets are indeed AI-generated, developer Pearl Abyss could be in violation of Steam's AI Content policy, which mandates disclosure of AI use on the game's store page. As of this writing, Crimson Desert's page contains no such disclosure.

We have contacted Pearl Abyss for comment on whether generative AI was used for finished assets in Crimson Desert. Interestingly, the studio received positive attention just last month when marketing director Will Powers confirmed that all main and quest NPCs were voiced by human actors across multiple languages, not AI.