Resident Evil Requiem Producer Claims Backlash Against Grace’s DLSS 5 AI Filter Confirms Capcom’s Design Success

Nearly two months have gone by since Nvidia unveiled its DLSS 5 AI enhancement, and it seems the online community has effectively pressured the company into silence regarding this so-called “AI-powered breakthrough.”

In a recent interview with the game director and producer of Resident Evil Requiem, an outlet seized the chance to poke fun at Nvidia one last time. Grace Ashcroft, one of the game’s main characters, became the unfortunate face of Nvidia’s DLSS 5 announcement on March 16, leading to a flood of “DLSS 5 Off/DLSS 5 On” memes that circulated widely due to her oddly altered appearance.

While producer Masato Kumazawa couldn’t directly address the team’s involvement with the DLSS 5 technology or its promotional trailer, he did express that the backlash against Grace’s redesign was actually a positive sign. “The fact that many players commented on how much they liked Grace’s original design and didn’t want it changed was a good thing,” Kumazawa noted. “It showed we got the design right and indicates that Grace quickly became a fan favorite, as people had such strong feelings about her look.”

While I agree that Grace’s original design played a significant role in the negative feedback, what really struck me was how the DLSS 5 filter seemed to amplify her makeup in a peculiar way. It might have been a quirk of the lighting effects, but it’s strange that Nvidia chose to highlight such an exaggerated look in their showcase video.

Regardless, Kumazawa’s cautious response to the criticism lends weight to reports that developers at Capcom were not entirely pleased with Nvidia’s DLSS 5 reveal. While the producer couldn’t openly criticize the technology, given the ongoing partnership between Capcom and Nvidia, his choice to praise Grace’s original design instead feels like a clever way to subtly push back against the tech.