Between polarizing reviews and a “Mixed” rating on Steam with complaints about the controls, Crimson Desert probably didn’t need the additional controversy of AI-generated assets discovered in-game. From additional legs to nightmarish renditions of horses, it evoked significant backlash from fans and non-players.
Pearl Abyss has since responded to the same, and it’s very similar to what Sandfall Interactive said about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. “During development, some 2D visual props were created as part of early-stage iteration using experimental AI generative tools.
“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.” Which certainly sounds like what Larian Studios was attempting with Divinity before extensive backlash forced a pivot.
Of course, not all of those assets weren’t replaced with Pearl Abyss, noting them to have been “unintentionally included in the final release. This is not in line with our internal standards, and we take full responsibility for it.”
The fact that it didn’t disclose the use of generative AI tools, which goes against Steam’s policy, also drew ire, which the developer acknowledged. “We also acknowledge that we should have clearly disclosed our use of AI. While these tools were primarily used during early production, with the expectation that these assets would be replaced prior to release, we recognize that this does not excuse the lack of transparency. We sincerely apologize for these oversights.”
For now, Pearl Abyss is “conducting a comprehensive audit of all in-game assets and is taking steps to replace any affected content.” You can expect the current offenders to be updated in future patches, though there’s no ETA. It’s also “reviewing and strengthening our internal processes to ensure greater transparency and consistency in how we communicate with players moving forward.”
Before all of this, the studio was celebrating two million sales on the first day of launch. While its Steam concurrent players peaked at just over 239,000, the weekend has seemingly resulted in a decent jump, as it currently hit 243,947.
Crimson Desert is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. You can check out our review of the PC version, where we praised the visuals, combat and exploration despite quirks with each element, and panned the story and overall writing.
