Claire Obsker: Expedition 33 Developer Sandfall Interactive has promised that going forward, everything in the studio will be created by humans rather than AI. To say that the use of generative AI in video game development is currently a controversial topic would be an understatement. Since gaming entered the mainstream a few years ago, gaming companies have regularly been accused of using AI, and the accusations often turn out to be true. So when they found out Claire Obsker When it was released with AI assets, some fans reacted negatively.
Although there is a fair amount of AI present in the release build of the widely acclaimed RPG. It was certainly small, but it still caused a backlash among many gamers. This art was only intended to serve as a placeholder and was quickly patched, but its very use Claire Obsker It will be disqualified from the Indie Game Awards and its Best Debut and Game of the Year awards will be withdrawn. But the developer seems to have heard the response loud and clear.
The most wishlisted games on Steam come from “AI-first” companies and are likely to attract more eyeballs.
As the debate over generative AI continues, it seems like the most wishlisted game on Steam has been ignored while being released by an “AI-first” company.
Clair Obscur developers will not use generative AI in the future
Recently, Expedition 33 Director Guillaume Broche and art director Nicholas Maxson-Francombe took part in a Q&A session with YouTube channel Sushi. During the discussion, the topic of AI utilization was raised. Broche said it's difficult to predict what the future will hold for the industry, but he promised that at least in Sandfall's games, “everything will be made by us humans.” He went on to explain that when AI was used in development: Expedition 33Technology was still considered a very new and useful tool. “We tried it and didn’t like it. It felt wrong.”
At least for now, it looks like AI is here to stay, whether you like it or not, and will likely become more common over time. Recently, another beloved gaming company, multi-award-winning developer Larian Studios, came under fire for its use of AI. Baldur's Gate 3In a Bloomberg interview, he acknowledged using these skills to “create PowerPoint presentations, develop concept art, and create placeholder text.” Larian founder Swen Vincke said generative AI assets are theologyIt's the studio's next project, but the backlash has been slightly lessened.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Vincke said that while AI has not significantly improved the team's efficiency, not using it could ultimately be detrimental if it is widely adopted by competitors. Famous developer Hideo Kojima seems to think the same thing. He has previously stated that while he doesn't use AI to create works of art, he sees its potential in creating deep systems that can dynamically respond to player actions. In fact, Kojima has said that he wants to make a game to train AI because “we don't know much” about it right now.
Sandfall Interactive and Larian Studios are currently dealing with the fallout from the revelation that they used AI in some aspects of the game's creation, but it's unlikely this will have a permanent impact on their success. excitement for the future theology Larian's game is incredibly high, Claire Obsker It won a record number of categories at The Game Awards 2025, earning more wins than any other game in the event's history.
- released
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April 24, 2025
- ESRB
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Ages 17 and older / Blood and gore, strong language, suggestive themes, violence
- developer
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Sandpole Interactive
- publisher
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Kepler Interactive
Source: Bloomberg
