Level-5 has issued a renewed public response following criticism of its handling of generative AI in recent promotional material.
The Japanese developer, known for franchises including Professor Layton, Yo-kai Watch and Inazuma Eleven, addressed anomalies spotted in imagery shared during its Level-5 Vision 2026 II showcase and a concurrent Nintendo Direct window.
In its statement, Level-5 acknowledged that certain visual irregularities were the result of human error and internal workflows, not exclusively generative AI.
The company said simplification of background elements in a Yo-kai Watch 2: Haunted Domain asset — notably power lines — led viewers to question whether AI had been used.
Level-5 explained the image was intended to be hand-drawn and was subsequently corrected to appear more natural.
The developer also clarified a change in the protagonist Keita's (Nathan Adams in Western releases) facial detail between presentations, explaining that an updated version had been created but an earlier iteration was used in the Nintendo Direct due to an imposed deadline.
Level-5 confirmed one concrete product-level decision in its statement: the upcoming title Professor Layton and The New World of Steam will not include generative AI.
The company did not provide a similar confirmation regarding the newly announced remake of Professor Layton and the Curious Village.
Paraphrasing Level-5's apology in clear terms: the developer said it is sorry for causing distrust among fans and reviewers as a result of immature use of AI tools and staff errors during the production of presentation materials.
Level-5 pledged to be more careful in creating and releasing promotional assets, limit its use of AI to internal efficiency improvements, and avoid direct use of AI-generated content in videos delivered to users.
Founded in 1998 and led by CEO Akihiro Hino, Level-5 has a long history of working with Nintendo platforms, including past releases in the Professor Layton series on Nintendo handhelds and ongoing collaborations that surface in events such as Nintendo Direct and the Nintendo eShop.
The company’s statement is the latest development in an industry-wide conversation about transparency and best practices for the use of generative AI in game development and marketing.
Playable release dates, sales milestones or platform-specific launch windows for the titles discussed remain as previously announced by Level-5; the company’s confirmation on AI usage applies to The New World of Steam only, with no additional changes to earlier release information provided in this statement.
The Japanese developer, known for franchises including Professor Layton, Yo-kai Watch and Inazuma Eleven, addressed anomalies spotted in imagery shared during its Level-5 Vision 2026 II showcase and a concurrent Nintendo Direct window.
In its statement, Level-5 acknowledged that certain visual irregularities were the result of human error and internal workflows, not exclusively generative AI.
The company said simplification of background elements in a Yo-kai Watch 2: Haunted Domain asset — notably power lines — led viewers to question whether AI had been used.
Level-5 explained the image was intended to be hand-drawn and was subsequently corrected to appear more natural.
The developer also clarified a change in the protagonist Keita's (Nathan Adams in Western releases) facial detail between presentations, explaining that an updated version had been created but an earlier iteration was used in the Nintendo Direct due to an imposed deadline.
Level-5 confirmed one concrete product-level decision in its statement: the upcoming title Professor Layton and The New World of Steam will not include generative AI.
The company did not provide a similar confirmation regarding the newly announced remake of Professor Layton and the Curious Village.
Paraphrasing Level-5's apology in clear terms: the developer said it is sorry for causing distrust among fans and reviewers as a result of immature use of AI tools and staff errors during the production of presentation materials.
Level-5 pledged to be more careful in creating and releasing promotional assets, limit its use of AI to internal efficiency improvements, and avoid direct use of AI-generated content in videos delivered to users.
Founded in 1998 and led by CEO Akihiro Hino, Level-5 has a long history of working with Nintendo platforms, including past releases in the Professor Layton series on Nintendo handhelds and ongoing collaborations that surface in events such as Nintendo Direct and the Nintendo eShop.
The company’s statement is the latest development in an industry-wide conversation about transparency and best practices for the use of generative AI in game development and marketing.
Playable release dates, sales milestones or platform-specific launch windows for the titles discussed remain as previously announced by Level-5; the company’s confirmation on AI usage applies to The New World of Steam only, with no additional changes to earlier release information provided in this statement.
