Former Blizzard Leader Urges Crimson Desert Developers to Embrace AI, Predicts Its Ubiquity in Gaming

Over the weekend, the creators of Crimson Desert issued an apology for including AI-generated art in their open-world game without informing players. Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra took to social media to express that the studio had no reason to apologize.

“Why apologize?” he posted on Crimson Desert’s account. “AI, in one form or another, will be in every single video game. I don’t understand why developers feel pressured to cater to those who can’t accept that AI is becoming part of everything – from video games to your fridge (it already is). Man up.”

Ybarra’s bold statement, reminiscent of the over-the-top confidence of a character from Eastbound & Down, didn’t resonate well. With nearly two decades at Microsoft and Xbox before joining Blizzard in 2019, he became co-president in 2021 during a significant workplace overhaul. However, after Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard in 2023, he was let go. He now leads a sports betting startup called Prize Picks.

When a fan commented, “I’m so glad you’re not ruining Blizzard anymore,” Ybarra replied, “Hope you enjoy co-pilot in WoW.”

So far, few major gaming companies have embraced Ybarra’s “man up” stance on AI in gaming. Despite ongoing discussions among developers and players about the increasing presence of AI behind the scenes, no major studio has had the courage to tell gamers to simply “get used to it.”

The closest we’ve seen to this was a recent comment from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who claimed the internet was “completely wrong” about DLSS 5 incorporating generative AI into game visuals. However, that message doesn’t seem to have landed effectively.