Resident Evil Requiem Producer Embraces Fan Backlash Over AI-Enhanced Grace Design

Nvidia unveiled its latest DLSS 5 technology back in March, aiming to enhance the photorealism of games. However, the results have led to significant changes in character appearances, sparking a wave of memes mocking the so-called “AI slop.” One character that became the face of this controversy was Grace from Resident Evil Requiem, whose DLSS 5 look was largely rejected by gamers.

In a recent chat, the producer of Requiem, Masato Kumazawa, expressed satisfaction with the community’s reaction. He noted, “The fact a lot of players commented they really liked the original design of Grace and didn’t want to see it changed was a positive. It meant we got the design right and points to the fact that Grace quickly established herself as a fan favorite, that people had such strong opinions on her design.”

Grace faced a tough challenge in Requiem as a new character debuting alongside the beloved Leon S. Kennedy. Despite the potential to be overshadowed, she quickly won over fans, with her tense horror segments providing a stark contrast to Leon’s more action-packed sequences.

Kumazawa couldn’t share details about his team’s involvement with the DLSS 5 reveal, if any. Previous reports suggested that Capcom developers were just as surprised as the audience to see the game featured in the DLSS 5 showcase, especially given the company’s recent “anti-AI” stance on upcoming projects. Ubisoft staff also expressed surprise that future titles would utilize Nvidia’s technology, with one employee stating, “We found out at the same time as the public.”

For those criticizing how Nvidia’s new graphics tech might alter the look of Resident Evil Requiem and other games, Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang believes you’re “completely wrong.” In a follow-up interview after the DLSS 5 announcement, he addressed the backlash by explaining the technical aspects of the graphics technology that he felt were misunderstood, while sidestepping the fact that many players simply preferred the original designs of characters like Grace and Leon over the AI-enhanced versions.