Pearl Abyss admits Crimson Desert has generative AI-made assets and adds Steam disclosure

After spotting suspicious artwork in Crimson Desert, gamers accused Pearl Abyss of taking shortcuts. The developer has now issued a statement on social media, confirming it relied on generative AI. It claims it failed to remove the placeholder images from earlier builds of the open-world game.

Why did Pearl Abyss turn to AI tools?

According to Pearl Abyss, the “2D visual props were created as part of early-stage iteration using experimental AI generative tools.” Constructing a massive world, the temporary assets allowed the developers to experiment with “tone and atmosphere.” Artists intended to replace the images by the Crimson Desert release date, but that clearly didn’t happen.

The studio apologized for what it claims was an oversight. It’s examining all assets to ensure it hasn’t overlooked any other products of the controversial tech. Players can expect updates to remove any offending artwork.

The Crimson Desert Steam page now displays a disclaimer, as required by Valve. It reads, “Generative AI technology is used in a supplementary capacity during the creation of some 2D prop assets.” As with the social media post, Pearl Abyss explains that these placeholder images should only be temporary.

A small gallery of AI artwork

Redditors pointed out several examples of framed paintings featuring people with limbs in the wrong places. With numerous errors, it was also suspected that AI tools translated dialogue into German and other languages.

While the explanation may quiet critics, others note how common these apologies have become. The most obvious example is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. After winning Game of the Year, Indie Game Awards disqualified the title after players discovered evidence of AI. Sandfall also used placeholders during development before deleting them in the retail version.

Crimson Desert was a massive undertaking, with reportedly as many as 250 developers working on the project. Pywel was an enormous world to build, but some gamers argue that the studio has the resources to avoid half-measures.