Metacritic Removes 'Resident Evil Requiem' Review Amid AI Content Concerns, Issues Stern Warning

Metacritic has taken down a questionable review of Resident Evil Requiem from a once-respected website following allegations that the outlet is now producing AI-generated content. The review aggregator informed Kotaku that it delisted a 9/10 review from the UK-based Videogamer.com after doubts emerged about its authenticity, particularly in light of staff reductions.

The review, which remains on Videogamer's site, is attributed to 'experienced iGaming and sports betting analyst' Brian Merrygold. However, Merrygold seems to be a fictional character; his profile photo includes a URL hinting at creation by ChatGPT in October of last year, coinciding with the creation of an unused social media account. This persona, along with others on the site, has been used to publish what appears to be AI-generated gambling content over recent months. According to Kotaku, after human writers were let go, Videogamer's new owners, Clickout, began using these same personas for video game reviews this month.

Metacritic co-founder Marc Doyle confirmed the removal, stating, 'The RE Requiem review and a handful of other Videogamer reviews from 2026 have been taken down.' He emphasized Metacritic's long-standing reputation, saying, 'Metacritic has been a reputable review source for a quarter century and maintains strict vetting for new publications. However, issues like plagiarism or AI-generated reviews can arise during ownership changes or staff turnover. Our policy is to exclude AI-generated reviews entirely; if we find one, we remove it immediately and cut ties with the publication pending investigation.'

This warning comes as journalism faces challenges from AI advancements, including the proliferation of recycled content and AI-driven summaries replacing traditional search results. Metacritic suggests this incident may not be isolated, indicating vigilance against future attempts to bypass its standards.

In contrast, IGN's human-written review of Resident Evil Requiem praised the game, awarding it 9/10 and describing it as 'the result of an experiment conducted in an underground Umbrella Corporation lab, successfully splices two separate strains of survival horror together into one highly infectious new mutation.' IGN also offers a comprehensive guide to help players navigate RE9, with tips, tricks, and a walkthrough to ensure they don't miss any collectibles from the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center to Raccoon City.