Level-5, the Japanese studio behind franchises such as Yo-Kai Watch and Professor Layton, confirmed it used generative AI in the video content for its recent digital showcase that ran alongside Nintendo’s September Direct.
The presentation, which highlighted remakes of Yo-Kai Watch 2 and Professor Layton and the Curious Village, drew immediate attention from viewers who pointed out visual artifacts and inconsistencies that suggested AI-driven processing.
In a public statement on Twitter, Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino acknowledged the use of AI for the event’s footage and apologized to anyone offended by the decision.
Hino explained that the studio’s intent was to make the presentation visually striking and that the AI processing was also treated as an experiment with the latest generative tools.
He reiterated that the fundamental elements of the games — including scenarios, character designs, and core settings — were produced by human creators and that Level-5 will not be shipping titles composed of "hastily generated AI data." That assurance was framed as a commitment to human-led game design despite the studio’s use of AI for promotional material.
Audience response to the showcase included side-by-side comparisons and screenshots shared on social platforms that highlighted shifting facial details and other rendering anomalies between trailers and promotional assets.
Those community observations helped prompt the company’s clarification.
Level-5 has previously discussed integrating generative AI into its development pipeline: in late 2023 the company outlined plans to explore AI tools, and in 2025 Hino publicly signaled a major strategic move toward AI-assisted production.
The recent statement represents the studio’s latest public comment on how it balances experimentation with generative AI and traditional human-led development practices.
The episode is part of a broader industry conversation around generative AI usage in games and marketing.
Other publishers and IP holders have also faced scrutiny over AI usage in promotional assets and development, and platform holders such as Nintendo have been asked to clarify their positions as the technology becomes more prominent.
For players and industry observers, Level-5’s response is notable because it separates experimental use of AI in marketing materials from the studio’s claims about the creative authorship of the games themselves.
Fans of Yo-Kai Watch and Professor Layton can now look to official channels for further details about the remakes’ development timelines and platform availability as Level-5 follows up on both the games and the questions raised by its presentation.
The presentation, which highlighted remakes of Yo-Kai Watch 2 and Professor Layton and the Curious Village, drew immediate attention from viewers who pointed out visual artifacts and inconsistencies that suggested AI-driven processing.
In a public statement on Twitter, Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino acknowledged the use of AI for the event’s footage and apologized to anyone offended by the decision.
Hino explained that the studio’s intent was to make the presentation visually striking and that the AI processing was also treated as an experiment with the latest generative tools.
He reiterated that the fundamental elements of the games — including scenarios, character designs, and core settings — were produced by human creators and that Level-5 will not be shipping titles composed of "hastily generated AI data." That assurance was framed as a commitment to human-led game design despite the studio’s use of AI for promotional material.
Audience response to the showcase included side-by-side comparisons and screenshots shared on social platforms that highlighted shifting facial details and other rendering anomalies between trailers and promotional assets.
Those community observations helped prompt the company’s clarification.
Level-5 has previously discussed integrating generative AI into its development pipeline: in late 2023 the company outlined plans to explore AI tools, and in 2025 Hino publicly signaled a major strategic move toward AI-assisted production.
The recent statement represents the studio’s latest public comment on how it balances experimentation with generative AI and traditional human-led development practices.
The episode is part of a broader industry conversation around generative AI usage in games and marketing.
Other publishers and IP holders have also faced scrutiny over AI usage in promotional assets and development, and platform holders such as Nintendo have been asked to clarify their positions as the technology becomes more prominent.
For players and industry observers, Level-5’s response is notable because it separates experimental use of AI in marketing materials from the studio’s claims about the creative authorship of the games themselves.
Fans of Yo-Kai Watch and Professor Layton can now look to official channels for further details about the remakes’ development timelines and platform availability as Level-5 follows up on both the games and the questions raised by its presentation.
