Article · AI translation
Thanks to IT Home reader 咩咩洋 for the tip!
IT Home reported on November 14 that, according to TechPowerUp, after Crimson Desert launched in March 2026, it faced a player backlash because the released game contained AI-generated assets. Although Pearl Abyss subsequently removed those assets and argued that they were merely placeholders accidentally overlooked during review, the studio appears undeterred and still plans to use generative AI in future games.
This was confirmed in its recently released financial report. Pearl Abyss said in the report that it is expanding the use of AI across the entire development pipeline:
In addition, we are integrating AI technology to improve development productivity and overall quality. AI is currently being used at multiple stages of development, including automating repetitive tasks, assisting content creation, and optimizing testing, and we are expanding its use across the entire development pipeline.
IT Home noted that the report describes AI as a way to boost productivity and development speed, rather than a means of replacing people or human creativity:
We do not see AI as a replacement for human developers, but as a tool to improve development efficiency and quality. We will continue to expand our use of AI to bring higher-quality games to market more quickly.
Earlier in the financial report, Pearl Abyss also detailed where its use of AI is most concentrated and how it has reshaped the company's development workflow. The studio explained that its teams have moved away from the traditional approach of first building game systems by hand and then validating them manually, instead using AI for rapid prototyping and design concept validation.
At the same time, the financial report emphasized that Pearl Abyss still keeps human developers in charge of core gameplay and content creation:
However, AI is strictly positioned as a tool to assist with concept validation and improve pipeline productivity, while our development team remains fully in charge of the core gameplay experience and actual content creation.
Related reading:
“Players uncover a distorted mural: Crimson Desert caught hiding AI-generated art assets”
“Developer responds to distorted mural among Crimson Desert's AI-generated art assets: It forgot to replace them before the official launch and will conduct a comprehensive review of game assets”
“Crimson Desert completes first round of art asset updates, gradually replacing AI-generated assets”