Earlier this week, Crimson Desert players noticed a slew of AI-generated paintings and design work scattered throughout Pywel, despite no disclosure from developer Pearl Abyss on the Steam page — as is policy. With backlash mounting, the team has issued a statement on X, claiming that these assets were intended to be used as placeholders, and that they were left in the final build by accident.
"During development, some 2D visual props were created as part of early-stage iteration using experimental AI generative tools," the statement reads. "These assets helped us rapidly explore tone and atmosphere in the earlier phases of production. However, our intention has always been for any such assets to be replaced, following final work and review by our art and development teams, with work that aligned with our quality standards and creative direction."
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 likewise used AI placeholder art, and was stripped of its Indie Game Award as a result.
"Following reports from our community, we have identified that some of these assets were unintentionally included in the final release," Pearl Abyss continued. "This is not in line with our internal standards, and we take full responsibility for it. We also...
