Cozy new life sim Heartopia is about to get the collab of the century, but some players are already abandoning ship after Steam version quietly discloses AI usage: "The bare minimum"

The cute new life sim Heartopia is about to get devastatingly cuter with a My Little Pony collaboration planned to begin this Valentine's Day, February 14. The crossover event promises puzzles and a new pet costume all sweeter than a box of truffles, but some Heartopia players might want developer XD to do better than that. It would be nice if XD could stand outside their bedroom with a boombox announcing it's breaking up with AI-generated content, for example.

The Steam description for Heartopia's PC port has some fans suddenly feeling betrayed. The whimsical multiplayer game apparently uses AI-generated content "in the puzzle gameplay to reinterpret and redraw in-game snapshot images," XD disclaims on Steam, as well as "in in-game chat to help players understand different languages." While these instances of AI-generation don't seem as egregious as the outright generated-AI gameplay some developers like Ubisoft are currently toying with, it's still a bitter agent in what fans are otherwise enjoying as a sugary, custardy, farm and dress-up gacha game.

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"If it weren't for the fact that they were releasing this game on Steam, they would have never disclosed the fact that they used genAI in the game," laments a Not Recommended review with more than 1,000 upvotes. "Even if you ignore the use of genAI (whether you're pro-genAI or simply do not care), this pc port is the bare minimum."

"Undisclosed gen ai usage strikes again," says another one Not Recommended review with 93 upvotes as of writing. "It's a shame because it's such a cute game but... i'm just glad i hadn't reached a point where i'd want to spend on it yet because geez."

But you know what the little ponies say: friendship is magic, and many Heartopia players continue to be drawn to the game's rare multiplayer capabilities. To that end, the My Little Pony collaboration will have the "Tree of Harmony from My Little Pony appearing on Whale Island, needing to be reawakened by Heartopia players via the Elements of Harmony," says a press release. "By working together, players can ensure the tree returns home to the magical kingdom of Equestria."

Pre-event festivities begin on February 7, "allowing players to complete a number of daily puzzles in order to unlock an exclusive pet costume based on the My Little Pony character Spike, as well as Time-Limited Exhibition Passes," the press release adds.

Do they use AI technology on Equestria?

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