Why many game developers reject generative AI

Generative AI, though pitched as a revolution, remains taboo for many in games. Developers such as Stardew Valley's Eric Barone and Subnautica 2 studio Unknown Worlds openly avoid or malign it, while the makers of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 faced severe backlash over whiffs of gen AI.

Nvidia DLSS 5's AI-powered filter also stoked fierce rejection among devs and players. Executives are divided: Bethesda boss Todd Howard called it a potentially useful "tool," just not for generation, even as the CEOs of EA and Ubisoft champion AI and Ubisoft invests heavily in "player-facing generative AI." Interviews with more than 30 developers showed many declined to speak or asked for anonymity, but an overwhelmingly negative assessment emerged.

Critics point to environmental and supply-chain harms: AI data centers guzzle water for cooling and incur massive power costs, with electricity draw for just one center equaling tens of thousands of homes, and the infrastructure can pressure local communities.

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