A "comprehensive audit" of assets is also underway.

Fans caught Pearl Abyss using generative AI (genAI) art assets in their newly released game, Crimson Desert. Not only were there obvious genAI created assets present in the game, but Pearl Abyss made no disclosure of using AI through the Crimson Desert Steam page. This is something that Valve allegedly requires, but are quite lax in actually enforcing.

It took a bit after initial reporting was made, but Pearl Abyss did make a public statement about the use of genAI to create assets for Crimson Desert. In their statement, Pearl Abyss admits that they did use "experimental AI generative tools" during the game's development. They say that it wasn't their intention to keep those assets in the final build of the game. They will be "conducting a comprehensive audit of all in-game assets" in order to "replace any affected content."

And true to their statement, Pearl Abyss did update the Steam page for Crimson Desert with a disclosure about using AI.

The excuse of using genAI just as placeholder art that was meant to be replaced is certainly an excuse we've heard before from companies that were caught using genAI assets in their games. On one hand, it is a bit believable in this specific case given how primitive the art assets looked. The assets look like they were made with some of the earliest online genAI models that always resemble scuffed eldritch horrors.

It really just begs the question though: Why are you using genAI assets at all, placeholder or otherwise? What happened to using checkerboard textures for placeholders? And if you really want to "rapidly explore tone and atmosphere" in an area, draw some stuff in Paint. In fact, making something in Paint probably takes a lot less time than writing some prompt for AI, and it sure as hell uses a lot less energy than AI uses.

Pearl Abyss says that they will be replacing the AI assets with legitimate artwork in the coming patches.