Former Xbox exclusive apologizes for AI contest controversy

party animals Studio Recreate Games has apologized for hosting a generative AI video competition and asked for player input on the future of the competition. As the name suggests, party animals is a party game that first launched as an Xbox exclusive in 2023 and has continued to find moderate success over the years as a family-friendly online brawler. Players choose from a selection of difficult and heavy-bodied animals to control, and try to take down their rivals before they fall on their birds.

On May 13, 2026, Recreate Games posted that it would be holding an AI video contest with a total prize pool of $75,000. The studio calls this its first contest centered around the use of generative AI, asking people to create videos of no more than five minutes using the software. The post encourages the use of creation tools. “In the past, ideas like this might only exist in your head, but now with AI, they finally have a chance to become a reality.” party animals Players immediately took to the comments section to express their displeasure, saying competition devalues human effort and art. These types of discussions are common among game developers and players pushing back against AI.

Party Animals Apologizes for AI Contest

that party animals The studio took to Twitter to explain the discussion surrounding the AI contest. Recreate Games used the post to apologize for upsetting fans of the game and for failing to communicate clearly with players before the competition began. The post claimed that the studio wanted to compete on the basis of AI to “lower the barriers to creation,” and suggested that generative AI would allow people who don't know how to edit, model or animate to create videos. Continuing to compare AI to accessibility tools, the team says they “didn't try to ignore the manual work or ignore the creators.”

Recreate Games then created a poll on the social media platform asking fans how the studio should or should proceed with the competition. Creators of popular party games have proposed canceling AI video contests, changing them to non-AI contests, or keeping AI contests but adding human art categories. The vote ended with about 58% of the approximately 16,000 votes calling for the contest to be canceled. However, opinions were mixed. Many say they cannot support generative AI in any form, while others echo the Sony CEO's comments, who argue that AI is a powerful creative tool.

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This is certainly not the first time that a game studio's use or promotion of generative AI has sparked controversy among its fanbase. Recently, fans shouted: NTE: From Eternity to Eternity For its use of AI, the studio acknowledged using generative AI software to create background art and environmental assets. Hotta Studio will replace images and videos that players correctly identify as being created by generative AI, promising that the team champions human creativity.

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Who is that character?

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Despite how new generative AI tools are in technology, their use in game development has been controversial for years. Even major publishers like Activision have admitted to using generative AI. call of dutyDespite the large number of artists and creatives employed by the studio. AI tools are constantly changing, and while it is still relatively easy for people to distinguish between generated images and human art, it is likely that telling the difference will become more difficult in the future. It's not uncommon for studios to refuse to disclose their use of AI until they receive pushback. It is expected that businesses will continue to use these software tools in the future.