As discussions on the use of generative AI in game development start becoming more and more commonplace, EA and Battlefield Studios are the latest companies to become embroiled in the subject. The companies have now come under fire from Battlefield 6 players thanks to the release of the new Windchill bundle, which includes a host of cosmetic items that players can equip in the game. Among these items is a new player card sticker that has been spotted by keen-eyed players as being AI-generated.
This first came to light thanks to a Reddit user in the Battlefield 6 community having spotted the AI-generated player card sticker that features a soldier taking aim with an M4A1 rifle in the snow. While many aspects of this sticker could be hand-drawn, the fact that the M4A1 in question has two barrels is a clear indication of it having been made by using generative AI.
The discussion thread for this has become a gathering point for several players to criticise Battlefield Studios for this sticker, with some even noting that fixing the egregious error was only a matter of minutes.
Neither Battlefield Studios nor EA have made any statements about the use of generative AI in Battlefield 6. However, the companies have been noted as being quite responsive to criticism about cosmetic items released in the multiplayer shooter. We last saw this back in October when the Wicked Grin skin had seen plenty of complaints, with players noting that the skin’s use of the colour blue was overdone and too saturated, especially when compared to other realistically-coloured skins available in the game.
“So, weren’t we supposed to have realistic skins for some time? Something that someone would really wear during a war? Yet it seems that with the start of season 1, everything will turn to colorful mess, with no way of differentiating teams based on uniforms, the game will look more like a Paintball or ASG event. Colorful weapons with pictures, colorful camos with neon accents, weird mix of things that are supposed to look cool, but end up simply weird,” wrote one user about the skin on social media. The Wicked Grin skin was subsequently removed from the game without Battlefield Studios making any statement about the matter.
Similarly, the System Override skin had also seen similar criticism thanks to its over-saturated use of the colour green, which players said drew comparisons to cans of Monster Energy. This skin, however, wasn’t removed from Battlefield 6 at the time.
As for the use of generative AI, the subject has recently become widely-discussed in the video game industry. These discussions were kicked off when Larian Studios founder and Divinity director Swen Vincke spoke about how the technology was being used as an “additive” to the game’s development team, and that the company had no plans to replace its employees. The criticism from this would eventually also involve Kingdom Come: Deliverance developer Warhorse Studios, whose co-founder Daniel Vávra spoke about the benefits of the technology and how it could be used in the future. Metal Gear Solid series creator Hideo Kojima also noted that we can’t go back to a world without AI anymore, comparing the technology with smartphones.
