Pearl Abyss, the Korean developer behind the highly anticipated action game Crimson Desert, has admitted it should have disclosed its use of generative AI art and launched a comprehensive audit of all in-game assets following player discoveries of AI-generated images in the final release.
The studio acknowledged that some AI-generated art assets "were unintentionally included in the final release" despite an internal expectation they would be replaced before launch. According to IGN, players quickly spotted telltale signs of AI generation in signs, paintings, and other visual props after the game launched this week.
Pearl Abyss's failure to disclose the AI use violated Steam's AI Content policy, which requires developers to clearly flag generative AI use on game store pages. No such disclosure appeared when the game launched, though a disclaimer was added after the controversy emerged. The developer's statement acknowledged the oversight directly: "We also acknowledge that we should have clearly disclosed our use of AI."
The developer explained in its updated disclosure that generative AI was used in "a supplementary capacity during the creation of some 2D prop assets" early in development to explore tone and atmosphere. The studio maintained these assets were never meant to reach the finished game. Now, Pearl Abyss is conducting a full audit and will replace any affected content through upcoming patches.
The AI controversy arrives as Crimson Desert faces mounting criticism from players over its control scheme. As reported by Kotaku, Pearl Abyss acknowledged that "many players have experienced discomfort with the controls" and said it was preparing a patch to address complaints. The developer also apologised specifically to keyboard-and-mouse players for an unsatisfactory control setup. PC Gamer noted that binding sprint to the Shift key forces players to mash it repeatedly, a design choice likely to cause hand strain during extended play sessions.
The timing complicates the developer's recovery efforts. Crimson Desert sold 2 million copies in its first day and peaked at nearly 250,000 concurrent players on Steam. However, the game currently carries a "mixed" user review rating on Valve's platform. The combination of control problems and the undisclosed AI art has dented both player reception and investor confidence. Pearl Abyss saw its stock price plunge nearly 30% earlier this week following poor critical review scores, with the stock falling another 9.78% yesterday.
The developer spent seven years and approximately 133 million dollars developing Crimson Desert, making the post-launch turbulence a significant setback. Pearl Abyss appears intent on damage control through rapid iteration. Whether control improvements and AI asset replacement patches can stabilise player sentiment remains to be seen, but the studio's early acknowledgment of mistakes and commitment to comprehensive fixes suggests a pragmatic approach to recovery after a stumbled launch.