Level-5’s recent Vision 2026 II showcase sparked debate after the studio leaned heavily on generative AI for presentation footage.
The Japanese developer, led by CEO Akihiro Hino, has publicly acknowledged experimenting with AI across its pipelines.
The revelation prompted an explanation from Hino and a mix of industry and fan reactions, at a time when GenAI use in game development is under intense scrutiny.
In a social media statement, Hino acknowledged that the decision to use AI-made footage in the event created concern among fans.
He said Level-5 incorporated the latest AI processing to make the presentation more spectacular and framed some of that work as experimental.
Hino apologized to viewers who felt uncomfortable and said the company would treat the reaction as a lesson for future showcases.
Hino also explained how Level-5 is applying generative AI within its development workflow.
He emphasized that core creative elements—scenarios, character designs, and foundational settings—are created by human staff.
According to Hino, AI is being used primarily to digitize and streamline labor-intensive tasks, such as converting original artwork into polygon models, rather than replacing the studio’s creative decision-making.
He added that the efficiency gains from AI are intended to give creators more time to focus on the essence of their work, and that Level-5 is testing ways to shorten its major-title development cycle from roughly five years toward a two-year target.
The company’s stance did not placate all critics.
Samuel Deats, director at Powerhouse Animation Studios (known for the Castlevania Netflix series), argued that generative AI systems are trained on vast collections of existing art and claimed those systems profit from works created by other artists.
Industry and creator advocates have raised similar concerns about attribution and compensation for original creators.
Fans voiced unease on social media as well.
Some long-time followers said they were disappointed that AI was used to make the presentation flashy and expressed worry about the respect shown to development teams.
Others said the use of AI in promotional materials raised doubts about whether it was also being used in released games.
The conversation around GenAI in games remains active.
While studios explore AI to improve efficiency and reduce technical bottlenecks, debates continue about training data, creator credit, and the environmental and ethical implications of large-scale AI use.
Level-5’s statement confirms the studio will continue experimenting with AI while attempting to reassure players that the core creative work remains in human hands.
The Japanese developer, led by CEO Akihiro Hino, has publicly acknowledged experimenting with AI across its pipelines.
The revelation prompted an explanation from Hino and a mix of industry and fan reactions, at a time when GenAI use in game development is under intense scrutiny.
In a social media statement, Hino acknowledged that the decision to use AI-made footage in the event created concern among fans.
He said Level-5 incorporated the latest AI processing to make the presentation more spectacular and framed some of that work as experimental.
Hino apologized to viewers who felt uncomfortable and said the company would treat the reaction as a lesson for future showcases.
Hino also explained how Level-5 is applying generative AI within its development workflow.
He emphasized that core creative elements—scenarios, character designs, and foundational settings—are created by human staff.
According to Hino, AI is being used primarily to digitize and streamline labor-intensive tasks, such as converting original artwork into polygon models, rather than replacing the studio’s creative decision-making.
He added that the efficiency gains from AI are intended to give creators more time to focus on the essence of their work, and that Level-5 is testing ways to shorten its major-title development cycle from roughly five years toward a two-year target.
The company’s stance did not placate all critics.
Samuel Deats, director at Powerhouse Animation Studios (known for the Castlevania Netflix series), argued that generative AI systems are trained on vast collections of existing art and claimed those systems profit from works created by other artists.
Industry and creator advocates have raised similar concerns about attribution and compensation for original creators.
Fans voiced unease on social media as well.
Some long-time followers said they were disappointed that AI was used to make the presentation flashy and expressed worry about the respect shown to development teams.
Others said the use of AI in promotional materials raised doubts about whether it was also being used in released games.
The conversation around GenAI in games remains active.
While studios explore AI to improve efficiency and reduce technical bottlenecks, debates continue about training data, creator credit, and the environmental and ethical implications of large-scale AI use.
Level-5’s statement confirms the studio will continue experimenting with AI while attempting to reassure players that the core creative work remains in human hands.
