Activision Faces Backlash Over AI-Generated Content in Call of Duty and Guitar Hero

Activision accused of "AI slop" yet again, this time for new Guitar Hero

Call of Duty publisher Activision has been blasted over its use of cheap AI once again, this time for a clearly-generated piece of artwork designed to announce a new Guitar Hero game for smartphones. You'd think that the announcement of a new entry in the legendary Guitar Hero series would be worth... I don't know, paying an artist to put something original together. Instead, the first announcement of Guitar Hero Mobile, posted to Activision's Instagram, comes with its logo splashed over some weird AI backdrop, where four suspiciously-similar silhouettes hold red guitars in identical poses surrounded by towers of amps that look like washing machines. But clearly this is fine now, apparently, because it's only been a week since Activision admitted it had begun using cheap-looking AI artwork for its flagship Call of Duty franchise. Players spotted a note from Activision confirming Call of Duty "uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets" that was belatedly added to the Steam page for Black Ops 6. As well as AI-generated in-game calling card 2D art assets, Black Ops 6 promotional artwork used last Christmas featured a Santa Claus zombie with six fingers. Maybe they should get him in Guitar Hero, he might be pretty good at it. Response to Activision's new Guitar Hero Mobile ad is as you'd expect. "AI Hero looks awesome 🔥" reads one comment. "I was actually excited, but then I saw the cover it's made out of AI, so I won't touch this, sorry," wrote another. "Ruin my fav game with AI slop," said a third, "I hope Activision falls over dude." Earlier this month, Microsoft unveiled its new Muse AI tool designed to aid "gameplay ideation" and the preservation of older video games, supposedly - a claim one expert branded as "idiotic".

Activision Once Again Under Fire Over Alleged Generative AI Use, Now for... a Fake Guitar Hero Game?

Activision is once again in trouble with fans over generative AI. Just one week after it admitted to using generative AI in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 for a number of assets, the publisher is now being accused of using generative AI again to promote a different game: Guitar Hero Mobile. But even as audiences criticize the promotion, sharp-eyed fans are discovering that Guitar Hero Mobile may not even be a real game in the first place. As reported by Insider Gaming, the generative AI in question appears to have been used in an Instagram ad for the newly-announced Guitar Hero Mobile posted two days ago. The ad features four guitar players on a stage in very similar poses with similarly-blobby red guitars, surrounded by distorted speakers that look suspiciously like washing machines and some mass of blobby microphones directly behind them. In front of them is an audience that includes a number of visible legs that don't seem to belong to anybody, and down the center is a Guitar Hero track with incorrectly colored tracks and blobby, inconsistent notes, some of which don't color match the track they're on. Put together, all of these issues are tell-tale signs of generative AI art, and given Activision's recent track record, it's pretty likely that's what's happening. In the comments, fans are furious. "Shows how much effort went into this when you can't even get your own game right," reads one response. Another calls the ad "Lazy AI slop," while another reads, "you'd think a giant company like Activision would have some budget for a real graphic designer". A fourth says, "Wow. It appears they're still using midjourney 1.0. I haven't seen AI art this bad since the early days." But this isn't where the weird generative AI ads end. As a few websites such as Time Extension and 80.lv have pointed out, Activision appears to have quietly dropped a number of generative AI-created ads on Instagram for a smattering of games that haven't otherwise been announced by the company. These include a Call of Duty Zombies mobile game, something called Call of Duty: Sniper, and something else called Crash Bandicoot Brawl. At the time we're writing this, none of these ads are viewable publicly on Activision's official Instagram, but the Guitar Hero Mobile game ad is still available via direct link. Where this gets even weirder is that fans have managed to find a page for Guitar Hero Mobile on a website called Geeklab, complete with even more AI imagery. Geeklab is a user acquisition and insight company that allows publishers to create "look-alike" store pages for mobile games in order to test user interest. Clicking "GET" on the Guitar Hero Mobile page takes users to a survey that claims "This isn't a real game, but could be some day!" and asks them a number of questions about why they clicked on the ad and how likely they would be to play something like Guitar Hero Mobile. What appears to be happening here is that Activision launched some sort of ad campaign to gauge user interest in a number of possible mobile games that don't exist yet. Because those games aren't real, it used generative AI for its advertising art, and confused the heck out of fans who otherwise would have been stoked for an actual Guitar Hero Mobile game. This comes just one week after Activision admitted to using generative AI in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Said generative AI assets were actually discovered and called out back in December, but it took the publisher nearly three months to admit it had used generative AI in Call of Duty loading screens, calling cards, and other in-game art. IGN has reached out to Activision for comment.

"There's a fine line between utility and laziness": fans clap back at Call of Duty's AI confession

Over the past few months, allegations have surfaced around Call of Duty's use of AI - now Activision has officially confirmed that suspicions are true. Claiming to use AI for "some" of the game's assets, the developers have ruffled the feathers of an increasingly frustrated fanbase that sees AI integration as the beginning of the end. The rapid advancement of AI is seemingly taking over every industry, and while AI productivity tools may make an optimistic case for the future, the predominant reaction to AI integration is one of fear and distrust. With game industry careers in jeopardy and an increasing decline in quality due to sloppy AI art, Activision's AI confirmation is not only a huge disappointment for fans but seemingly an unfortunate industry inevitability. Call of Duty Admits It's Using AI-Generated Assets from r/gaming The announcement was made on Call of Duty's Steam page with a brief statement reading: "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets." This comes after multiple AI controversies for the game franchise, including a questionable AI jockey job advert and December's AI slop scandal featuring dodgy artwork of a six-fingered zombie. Naturally, fans were disappointed with the news, with many taking to Reddit to voice their frustrations. "There's room for AI but there's a fine line between utility and laziness," one user commented. Another added, "You'd think after bringing all their subsidiaries on board as support studios, they wouldn't need to outsource any work to the plagiarism machines." Many players questioned how the move would affect labour costs, with one user jokingly suggesting "AI will make games cheaper right? right?" while another questioned, "Surely a multi-billion company could afford to pay some artists to make whatever they use AI for?" For more AI news check out how AI evolved in 2024, and what trends to track this year. If you're after a more optimistic look at AI, check out how Superside built its human-led AI brand.

Activision confesses that it has used generative AI to develop Call of Duty - Softonic

It has only been for some of its assets, but it has not been well received by the community Activision has admitted to using generative artificial intelligence tools to develop assets within its popular Call of Duty franchise. This revelation, which came from a mandatory disclosure by Valve on the game's Steam page, states: "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some game assets". This news comes amid growing discontent among players, who have suspected for months that AI-generated art pieces had been incorporated into the title. User complaints have intensified regarding elements such as the Yokai's Wrath package, released last year, which was criticized for its visual quality. Players have identified certain bugs and strange features in some images, such as a promotional loader with six-fingered zombies, raising doubts about the authenticity of these assets. Activision has not specifically indicated whether AI is used to create art in loading screens or in promotional calling cards, leaving an air of uncertainty among the gaming community. As concerns about the quality of AI-generated assets increase, the context of a recent restructuring at Activision-Blizzard, where 1,900 employees were laid off in 2023 adds to this. This raises questions about the future and the quality of the products the company can offer if it continues to bet on the use of automated technology instead of human talent. Players are asking Activision for greater respect for their investment, especially in products that require an additional payment, arguing that AI-generated art pieces are not acceptable in this context. PC Gamer has contacted Activision for more details about the authenticity of the mentioned assets and is awaiting a response from the company.

The suspicions are confirmed: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has used AI-generated content - Softonic

This is a red flag for many players who are positioned against it The controversy surrounding the use of generative artificial intelligence in the Call of Duty franchise has taken a new turn. After several months of suspicion from players, Activision has admitted that it has employed this technology to create some visual elements in titles like Warzone and Black Ops 6, including banners, loading screens, and icons. This acknowledgment came on the Steam page for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, where it was stated that certain assets were developed using AI tools, although no specific details were provided about which ones. The gaming community has quickly reacted to this revelation. Many had already pointed out inconsistencies in the designs, such as a zombified Santa Claus that had an incorrect number of fingers, a common mistake in AI-generated images. These findings led to the compilation of various examples on social media, reinforcing the rumors that pointed to the use of AI in Activision's creative process. This type of error has generated palpable skepticism among the saga's followers, who were hoping for a more traditional approach that involved human artists. Likewise, players have expressed their concern about the quality of AI-generated content, criticizing it for being considered low-quality content that could affect the creativity and originality of the franchise. In this context, some Steam users have urged Valve to implement filters to prevent questionable quality AI-generated games from appearing in their libraries, although they do not seek to completely block access to the store. This episode not only highlights the growing concern over the use of artificial intelligence in video game creation, but also raises questions about the future of artistic design in the industry. The community remains vigilant about how these decisions will impact the development of upcoming titles and the player experience.

Activision Finally Admits It Uses Generative AI for Some Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Assets After Backlash Following 'AI Slop' Zombie Santa Loading Screen - IGN

Call of Duty maker Activision has finally admitted to using generative AI in the development of Black Ops 6, nearly three months after fans had accused the company of creating an "AI slop" Zombie Santa loading screen. In December, following the release of the Season 1 Reloaded update, fans noticed a number of telltale signs in Black Ops 6 loading screens, calling cards, and art used to explain how Zombies community events work. At the centre of the backlash was a loading screen image of Zombie Santa, aka 'Necroclaus,' which some said showed the undead Father Christmas with six fingers. Generative AI often struggles with hands, adding extra fingers where they shouldn't be. Another image of a gloved hand was used to show off a new Zombies community event. It contained what looked like six fingers with no thumb on-screen, suggesting up to seven digits on this hand. The release of the Zombie Santa image sparked a closer look at other images in Black Ops 6, which some in the Call of Duty community subsequently called into question. Redditor Shaun_LaDee highlighted three images included in paid bundles that have irregularities that could suggest the use of generative AI. Fans then called on Activision to disclose the use of generative AI for art that is included in bundles that are sold, and following new AI disclosure rules for Steam, it has now added a vague disclosure that covers the entirety of Black Ops 6 on Valve's platform. Black Ops 6's Steam AI Generated Content Disclosure reads: "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets." In July, Wired reported that Activision sold an "AI-generated cosmetic" for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 last year. The cosmetic in question was not named, but was linked to the Yokai's Wrath bundle released in December 2023. The store did not disclose any use of generative AI for this bundle. This bundle cost 1,500 COD Points, the premium virtual currency sold for real-world money that generates hundreds of millions of dollars for Activision each year. 1,500 COD Points is approximately valued at $15. Wired pointed out that Microsoft, which owns Activision Blizzard after its $69 billion acquisition of the company last year, cut 1,900 staff from its gaming business just months after Activision sold this skin. The report alleged that 2D artists' jobs were being replaced by AI at the company. "A lot of 2D artists were laid off," one anonymous Activision artist told the site. "Remaining concept artists were then forced to use AI to aid in their work." Activision employees were allegedly "made" to sign up for AI training, with its use promoted throughout the business. Generative AI is one of the hottest topics within the video game and entertainment industries, which have both suffered massive layoffs in recent years. Generative AI thus far has drawn criticism from players and creators due to a mix of ethical issues, rights issues, and AI's struggles to produce content audiences actually enjoy. For instance, Keywords Studios attempted to create an experimental game internally using entirely AI. The game failed, with Keywords citing to investors that AI was "unable to replace talent."

Call of Duty admits it's using generative AI to 'help develop some in-game assets', and suddenly all those poorly made calling cards make sense

"Disappointingly, I just grinded for an AI-generated calling card." After months of players calling foul of suspected AI art in Call of Duty, Activision has admitted it's using generative AI to make assets for its billion-dollar franchise. This revelation comes not from a formal statement issued by the company, but a Valve-mandated AI disclosure now found at the bottom of the Call of Duty Steam page (as spotted by CharlieIntel): "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets," the disclosure reads. For some time now, Call of Duty players have suspected that Activision is using AI to generate cosmetics in Modern Warfare 3 and Black Ops 6. Last year, a Wired report called out a calling card included in the $15 "Yokai's Wrath" bundle. Then in the weeks after Black Ops 6's historically successful launch, players noticed obvious signs of generative AI in holiday-themed loading screen (notice the six-fingered zombie), another hand with perhaps too many digits promoting Zombies Gobblegum, and several glaring oddities with the sexy "Hard Breakup" calling card. Activision has not specified if it's using generative AI to produce the 2D art in loading screens or promotional calling cards, but the Steam page disclosure makes the claims easier to believe. It's one thing to phone in the loading screen for a Christmas mode, but it'd be another to slip generated art into a paid cosmetic bundle, or in the case of Hard Breakup, ask players to grind for hours to unlock AI slop. "Disappointingly, I just grinded for an AI generated calling card," wrote Reddit user Poodonkus in December. "I had heard of a cool pin-up style calling card for completing this challenge, but I wasn't expecting to find out after trying to figure out what was supposed to be on her belt (surprise, just shapeless artifacts of a neural network image generator), that there are glaring hallmarks of an unrefined AI-generated image." I'll be the first to admit I've stared at the details of an image long enough to be convinced it's AI when it's probably not, but I'm with Poodonkus on this one. What's going on with this lady's hair, and why does her right sleeve have a buckle that fades into nothingness? "Remake this calling card, hell trace it if you have to. But give us players more respect than this," Poodonkus concluded. It's worth noting that, other than the Yokai's Wrath bundle sold last year, these suspected AI art pieces are non-paid promotional materials, or a profile banner that you can earn for free. It's also worth noting that Activision-Blizzard laid off 1,900 humans in 2023. PC Gamer has reached out to Activision to confirm whether or not any of the art mentioned in this article is AI-generated and will update if an answer comes in.

Call Of Duty Discloses AI Slop After Months Of Players Complaining

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 players have been accusing various loading screens and calling cards from the game of being AI-generated since it came out last fall, but it was only ever based on vibes and the occasional very convincing piece of seemingly obvious AI slop. Now Activision has admitted to using AI-generated assets in the hit multiplayer shooter on its Steam page. The developers describe how their game uses AI generated content like this: "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets," reads the disclosure on Valve's storefront, recently spotted by CharlieIntel. While it doesn't elaborate any further on which assets are made with AI and how, the confession has reaffirmed what some fans had been claiming for months. The Black Ops 6 slop controversy began last October, a week before the game released, with allegations spreading on YouTube of certain prestige emblems looking AI-generated. A set of sexy vampire calling cards raised red flags again in early November, with fans pointing at different parts of the art that looked oddly rendered. But the most convincing examples of potential AI slop arrived in early December. Loading screens depicted hands with extra digits, a tell-tale sign of work produced by algorithms built on stealing other artists' work, but not knowing how to count. One loading screen included a black glove with six fingers holding billiard balls. The second was a zombie Santa holding up hand that had six fingers. Both were laughably egregious at the time, but also fostered fears that other less obvious examples might also have been AI-generated. The appearance of the Zombie Santa was even worse in the context of Zombies mode's voice actors being replaced amid a SAG-AFTRA strike for greater AI protections in game acting. Activision's new disclosure comes after previous reports that developers within the company were encouraged to experiment with new AI tools in their work. A report by Wired claimed an entire paid cosmetic was made with help from AI in 2023's Modern Warfare, after the publisher had greenlit the tools for help with making concept art and marketing materials. That same year, then CEO Bobby Kotick praised the work being done at OpenAI and other companies, suggesting the technology would be as transformative as the original Macintosh computer. Now Activision is owned by Microsoft, which touted the largest launch ever for Black Ops 6 last fall thanks in part to Game Pass, and has itself been moving full-steam ahead with trying to incorporate generative AI into game development. The company recently announced Muse, a model for visualizing gameplay built on data captured from people playing Ninja Theory's 2020 PvP game Bleeding Edge. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer even claimed similar technology would aid in game preservation by making it easier to emulate classics on modern hardware. But so far, Black Ops 6 has proven generative-AI tools and the current level of quality control around them often can't even get simple static images on loading screens right. Fortunately, a new SteamDB tag lets players filters games that us generative-AI out of their store searches.

Activision Confirms 'Call of Duty' Features AI-Generated Visuals

Samantha Kelly is a freelance writer with a focus on consumer technology, AI, social media, Big Tech, emerging trends and how they impact our everyday lives. Her work has been featured on CNN, NBC, NPR, the BBC, Mashable and more. Game maker Activision Blizzard confirmed some of the visuals inside some of its most popular titles are AI generated. The disclosure, which is listed on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's game page on Steam, follows the online gaming platform's recent introduction of new AI transparency policies. It comes at a time when gaming developers and publishers continue to determine AI's role in design and innovation while grappling with concerns over transparency, quality and job displacement. "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets," Activision said in the disclosure section of the game's page. The confirmation also follows months of speculation after fans spotted irregularities in Call of Duty, including a zombie Santa with extra fingers and other distorted elements that seemed off. (AI-generated imagery notoriously struggles with generating appendages). Read more: Call of Duty Just Launched Its Thinnest Multiplayer Map in Season 2 Reloaded Fans criticized the discovery and urged the company to be more transparent about its use of AI. Activision faced backlash in the past for selling AI-generated cosmetic bundles for virtual currency - purchased with real money - without disclosing the usage of AI. In January 2025, Steam's parent company, Valve, introduced AI disclosure policies requiring developers to clarify how AI contributes to "game development and execution." Read more: The New AI Buzzword Is 'Slop,' and It's Messing With You. What to Watch Out For "It's taken us some time to figure this out, and we're sorry that has made it harder for some developers to make decisions around their games," Valve said on its website. "But we don't feel like we serve our players or developer partners by rushing into decisions that have this much complexity. We'll continue to learn from the games being submitted to Steam, and the legal progress around AI, and will revisit this decision when necessary." In 2023, Activision was acquiredby Microsoft for $69 billion. A year later, Microsoft cut nearly 2,000 jobs in its gaming division as part of a report effort to pivot more toward AI. Despite the concerns, some experts believe AI usage in game development could bring about more innovation if properly regulated. "While I understand some of the concerns over the training of AI models - we can and should do better in their development - one thing I've maintained is that AI is a new tool that will help to streamline aspects of game development," said James Casey, an associate professor at George Mason University's Computer Game Design program. "But like other tools that have been adopted over time, we need to monitor and manage their usage." He cited the rise of game engines like Unity and Unreal that streamlined the game-creation process and shifted the types of jobs required to develop modern games. "Technologies like AI will do likewise," he said. "In the case of the Activision content, the usage of AI was readily apparent which indicates a lack of creative oversight. Regardless of where or how art is generated, whether it's an internal artist, an outsourcer or generative AI, there still needs to be accountability for the results." Will McKeon-White, an analyst at Forrester, told CNET that Valve's push for AI transparency could set a broader precedent, potentially by shaping industry standards and influencing consumer expectations. "Some marketplaces, like Steam/Valve, have taken a firm stance that if you use AI you need to flag that, but this is going to be complicated if other marketplaces don't follow suit," he said.

Activision admits Call of Duty includes generative AI

Activision has confirmed some in-game content in Call of Duty has been created using generative AI. As spotted by Call of Duty account CharlieIntel, the Steam page for the game's launcher (incorporating Black Ops 6, Modern Warfare 3, and Warzone) has been updated with a new AI notice, as per the rules of Steam. "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets," it reads. No further details are specified, but fans are already speculating where AI has been used. "We could tell lmao this loading screen had six fingers," reads one reply, referring to the zombie artwork used last Christmas (above). Players accused Activision at the time of using "AI slop". Other responses called out Activision for being lazy, or replied sarcastically: "Really? No way?!" Other artwork in the past has been called out by fans, including a six-fingered hand holding Gobblegum, while PC Gamer has pointed out the seeming use of AI in 2D calling cards. Since January 2024, Valve has required developers to disclose on Steam when AI is used in their games. Players are also able to flag when "illegal content" has been used. AI is also used in Activision's Ricochet anti-cheat system, which uses machine learning to combat cheaters. But as Wired reported in 2024, the rise in using generative AI for in-game assets has followed the loss of jobs across the games industry. Last week, Microsoft unveiled its new Muse AI tool designed to aid "gameplay ideation", though it's been met by criticism. AI is changing video game development forever, used in tools across NPC development, scriptwriting, voice acting, artwork, and more.

Activision admits to using AI assets in Call of Duty following Steam policy change

A hot potato: Activision has admitted what most people have suspected for years: it is using some AI-generated content in Call of Duty. It doesn't come as too much of a surprise given the evidence, which includes an image of a zombie Santa Claus in a loading screen with six fingers. It's a contentious issue, especially as Activision Blizzard laid off 1,900 employees in 2023. Claims that Activision was using AI began gaining popularity around the time of Modern Warfare 3. Wired reported last year that the company had started using AI tools in its game development in 2023, a year when approximately 11,250 people working in the industry were laid off. The report claims that Activision approved the use of certain generative AI tools in creating concept art and marketing materials in mid-2023, and by the end of the year, Activision released an AI-generated cosmetic, the $15 Yokai's Wrath bundle, on the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 store. What was probably Activision's most obvious use of AI appeared in a holiday-themed loading screen that showed a zombie Santa with six fingers - one of the signs that an image was generated using artificial intelligence tools. There was also a multi-digit hand used to promote Zombies Gobblegum, while the Hard Breakup calling card features an image of a woman with hair and buckles that look a lot like AI-generated assets. Activision neither confirmed nor denied the accusations, but in January 2025, Steam announced a new policy stating that developers must disclose any use of AI within their games. Presumably as a result of Valve's policy, Activision now includes a disclaimer on the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Steam page that states, "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets." Interestingly, there is no such disclosure on the Modern Warfare 3 page, at least not yet. The disclaimer seems deliberately vague as game assets could refer to a lot of things, including cosmetics. While gamers aren't happy about the admission, there seem to be some areas where Activision is using AI that have been deemed acceptable. One of these is to identify Call of Duty cheaters, another is the chat moderation system, which saw a 43% drop in toxicity following its implementation.

Activision admits it: Call of Duty uses generative AI in its latest release

When we talk about the use or otherwise of AI in video games, we often tend to think of its contribution as being solely focused on the behaviour of NPCs in the game, but it's clear that the recent push for the technology is more towards the creative side, replacing human labour (artistic or otherwise) with something created by a trained algorithm. Valve has long had a stance of at least transparency in this regard, and in one of the recent updates to Steam's publishing rules required all games to publish on their shop page whether or not and to what extent they had made use of AI in their development. And today we have learned of the most blatant and probably the most talked about case in this regard. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the latest instalment in Activision's flagship series and one of the most powerful and lucrative franchises in the entire industry, now has to admit that paste of its game assets - modelling and otherwise - have been created using generative AI. Whatever anyone may think about this, the decision has come as little surprise to players of the series, who have been suspecting it since even before the game's release. What is somewhat difficult to understand is that the publisher has deliberately avoided telling the truth about this for so long, and that it had to be forced by community standards, and not as a matter of transparency with its players. What do you think about the use of generative AI in billion-dollar video game franchises?

Activision admits to AI-generated assets in Call of Duty, in forced disclaimer

TL;DR: Activision has confirmed that Call of Duty uses AI-generated content, following a mandatory disclosure on Steam. The game has faced past accusations of using AI for assets like skins without public notice. As reported by @CharlieIntel, Activision has confirmed that Call of Duty games include AI-generated content after a content disclosure recently appeared on the game's Steam page. The disclosure broadly outlines that the team uses generative AI tools to develop in-game assets. Call of Duty has been the subject of accusations in the past for using AI to generate assets like skins, loading screens, and calling cards without disclosing it to the public. Fingers in AI-generated artwork are often a giveaway for AI use, and examples like the 6-fingered zombie in Black Ops 6 demonstrate this case in point. (Credit: Treyarch) Back in April 2024, it was also discovered through Treyarch job listings that the team was seeking 2D artists specifically "skilled with generative AI tools." Given the team's public openness to using the technology, it's no surprise that this disclaimer was coming eventually. Steam, in particular, has strict AI transparency requirements, and Comicbook.com speculates that Valve may have stepped in to enforce the policy. Players had already been speculating for months that AI was involved in creating Call of Duty's in-game assets, but Activision had never confirmed it until now. The timing of the disclosure raises questions about whether this was a proactive admission or a forced move due to Steam's AI policies. Notably, the disclaimer itself is vague, failing to clarify which specific assets were AI-generated or how extensively the technology has been used in past updates. In general, the use of generative AI in gaming and creative projects is a divisive issue across all industries. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) continues to push back against AI's role in entertainment, and more developers and studios are incorporating AI tools into their workflows. This disclosure is undoubtedly part of an emerging trend, and debates around the future role of AI in game development are only bound to continue.

'Call of Duty: Black Ops 6' Was Built With Generative AI, Activision Admits - Decrypt

Call of Duty publisher Activision has updated its Steam page for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to include a disclosure about the use of AI-generated content in developing the latest installment of its flagship first-person shooter game. The acknowledgment follows a new requirement from Steam -- the leading PC gaming platform -- that developers disclose the use of artificial intelligence in game development. "Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets," Activision wrote. Activision did not specify which assets were created with AI assistance, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Decrypt. Call of Duty is one of the video game industry's biggest franchises, spawning massive hits annually for the last two decades. According to data from industry group Circana, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was the best-selling video game in the United States in 2024, even though it released in late October. According to PC Gamer, players have long speculated that awkward-looking loading screens and "calling card" backgrounds in Black Ops 6 and 2023's Modern Warfare 3 were made with the help of generative AI tools. The update to the Call of Duty 6 Steam page comes amid ongoing debates over the role of AI in the entertainment industry. Two frontrunners for Best Picture at the 2025 Academy Awards, The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez, faced criticism for using artificial intelligence to enhance actors' vocals. In January 2024, Steam creator Valve introduced a new "Content Survey" requiring game developers to disclose AI usage when submitting titles to the platform. "Valve will use this disclosure in our review of your game prior to release," Valve wrote. "We will also include much of your disclosure on the Steam store page for your game, so customers can also understand how the game uses AI." According to Valve, AI usage in games falls into "Pre-Generated," or AI-generated content made during development, and "Live-Generated," which covers AI-generated content produced while the game is running. Content in both categories must follow Steam's rules, with Live-Generated AI requiring disclosed safeguards against illegal content. Steam clarified its AI content policy after developers accused the platform of rejecting games due to copyright concerns about AI-generated content. Rival gaming platform Epic Games used the controversy to lure developers to its Epic Game Store, much as it did after Steam banned blockchain games -- though some creators have found workarounds.

Activision confirms Call of Duty has AI-generated content.

After months of speculation, Activision has finally revealed that it has used AI to generate some assets in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Fans noticed a zombie Santa with six fingers over the holidays, alongside weapon decals and player cards that seemed to be AI generated. Activision hasn't detailed what parts of Call of Duty are AI-generated, but it had to confirm "our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets," to adhere to Steam's new policies.