Crimson Desert Developer Acknowledges Use of Generative AI Art in Game

Crimson Desert’s developer, Pearl Abyss, has acknowledged that the popular open-world game features undisclosed artwork generated by AI, following player observations of oddly distorted figures in some in-game paintings. The studio revealed that these “2D visual props” were created during the early stages of development with the intention of replacing them, but some ended up in the final version by mistake.

Pearl Abyss stated that this inclusion does not meet their internal standards and expressed regret for both the oversight and the lack of transparency regarding the use of AI. They committed to auditing all in-game assets and replacing any AI-generated art in future updates, alongside a review of their internal processes.

This admission came after a surge of player reports about AI art in Crimson Desert, which launched on Thursday evening. A notable example is a painting of a battle scene where the distorted forms of soldiers and horses grotesquely intertwine. Other AI-generated images include one featuring a man with an unusually short arm interacting with a blurry creature.

Pearl Abyss is not alone in facing scrutiny over AI art in gaming. The upcoming 2025 RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, had to remove AI-created assets post-launch and even lost its Indie Game Awards accolades as a result. Similarly, Larian Studios, the team behind Baldur’s Gate 3, recently had to assure fans that their next title, Divinity, would not feature generative AI art after admitting to its use during development.

Here’s the complete statement from Pearl Abyss:

We would like to address questions regarding the use of AI in Crimson Desert.

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.

Following reports from our community, we have identified that some of these assets were unintentionally included in the final release. This is not in line with our internal standards, and we take full responsibility for it.

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.

We are currently conducting a comprehensive audit of all in-game assets and are taking steps to replace any affected content. Updated assets will be rolled out in upcoming patches. In parallel, we are reviewing and strengthening our internal processes to ensure greater transparency and consistency in how we communicate with players moving forward.