Crimson Desert developer apologizes for AI-generated assets slipping into the RPG's final release: "This is not in line with our internal standards, and we take full responsibility for it"

Crimson Desert developer Pearl Abyss says sorry as it admits some AI-generated assets slipped through into the final release of the open-world RPG, all without the team initially acknowledging that it used AI tools during development in the first place, as it promises that "updated assets will be rolled out in upcoming patches."

It didn't take very long after Crimson Desert's launch for players to notice that certain paintings found in the game look a bit… off. One example that went viral after being shared on Reddit after its poster alleged it was AI-generated is frankly difficult to even describe – it shows a crowd of people and horses, but where the humans end and their loyal steeds begin is another matter entirely. You could argue that maybe it's actually a rough painting of a group of centaurs, if not for the fact that they all appear to have between three and five extremely distorted legs, with not one discernible face between them.

Found this AI Painting. from r/CrimsonDesert

Now, Pearl Abyss has taken to social media to "address questions regarding the use of AI in Crimson Desert," acknowledging that "during development, some 2D visual props were created as part of early-stage iteration using experimental AI generative tools."

It explains: "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."

Clearly, though, that's not quite what happened. "Following reports from our community, we have identified that some of these assets were unintentionally included in the final release," Pearl Abyss admits. "This is not in line with our internal standards, and we take full responsibility for it."

Beyond that, there's also the fact that this use of AI wasn't originally disclosed, despite the fact that all devs are supposed to reveal "any kind of content (art/code/sound/etc) created with the help of AI tools during development" when submitting to the platform.

Crimson Desert's store page has now been updated to include this, acknowledging that "generative AI technology is used in a supplementary capacity during the creation of some 2D prop assets," and that "any such assets are replaced through our production pipeline by our art and development teams, ensuring they meet our quality standards and creative direction," but Pearl Abyss knows it should have mentioned things sooner.

"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," the developer admits. It adds: "We sincerely apologize for these oversights."

As for what happens next, Pearl Abyss says "we are currently conducting a comprehensive audit of all in-game assets and are taking steps to replace any affected content."

While these "updated assets will be rolled out in upcoming patches," it doesn't indicate how long it will take. "In parallel, we are reviewing and strengthening our internal processes to ensure greater transparency and consistency in how we communicate with players moving forward," it adds.

The use of AI in game development continues to be an extremely hot topic – Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian Studios came under fire last year after CEO Swen Vincke stated that generative AI was being used in some aspects of the development of new RPG Divinity. However, he later backtracked and said that it won't be used for any concept art, and "that way, there can be no discussion about the origin of the art."

While you're here, check out our Crimson Desert review to see if it's worth playing amid the release of all the other new games for 2026.