Capcom calls DLSS 5 backlash positive proof that Resident Evil Requiem character design worked

Resident Evil Requiem producer says the negative reaction players had to Nvidia's DLSS 5 yassification of Grace Ashcroft was 'positive' because 'it meant we got the design right'

Masato Kumazawa believes Grace is now a "fan favourite" character * Resident Evil Requiem producer Masato Kumazawa believes Capcom succeeding in designing Grace Ashcroft * Kumazawa responded to the DLSS 5 backlash, calling the negative player response "positive" for Capcom * He says the response means Grace has "established herself as a fan favourite" Resident Evil Requiem producer Masato Kumazawa has said the negative reaction to Nvidia's DLSS 5 rendition of Grace Ashcroft from players meant Capcom achieved the best design for the character. In case you're not caught up on the controversy, in March, Nvidia released the first look at its DLSS upscaling tech, which would bring "real-time neural rendering model that infuses pixels with photoreal lighting and materials," aka generative AI. The company also shared a highlight reel, showcasing several games utilizing DLSS 5, including Resident Evil Requiem. The response to the footage was overwhelmingly negative, not just because of the ethics surrounding AI, but because it "upscaled" the game's protagonist, Grace Ashcroft, into an unrecognisable, 'yassified' version of the original design. Now, speaking in an interview with Eurogamer, Kumazawa responded to the controversy. While he couldn't discuss Capcom's involvement directly, he did say the response proved that Grace's design had resonated with players. "The fact a lot of players commented they really liked the original design of Grace and didn't want to see it changed was a positive," Kumazawa noted. He added: "It meant we got the design right [and] points to the fact that Grace quickly established herself as a fan favourite, that people had such strong opinions on her design." Following the backlash to DLSS 5, Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang doubled down on the use of generative AI and said players were "completely wrong" about the upscaling tech's purpose. "The reason for that is because, as I have explained very carefully, DLSS 5 fuses controllability of the geometry and textures and everything about the game with generative AI," Huang said at the time. "All of that is in the control - direct control - of the game developer. This is very different than generative AI; it's content-control generative AI. That's why we call it neural rendering." Soon after, Huang came out with another, more mellowed response and addressed the negative response to DLSS 5 once more; however, he still defended the use of gen-AI. "I think their [gamers] perspective makes sense, and I could see where they're coming from, because I don't love AI slop myself. I'm emphatic towards what they're thinking. That's just not what DLSS 5 is trying to do," he said. "It's conditioned by the textures and the artistry of the artist. It enhances every single frame, but doesn't change anything." DLSS 5 is slated to be released later this year and will support a multitude of games on PC, including Resident Evil Requiem, Starfield, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and more. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

Resident Evil Requiem producer responds to AI slop version of Grace

Nvidia revealed its newest DLSS 5 technology in March. It's intended to make games look more photorealistic, but in practice drastically alters the appearance of characters. People quickly clowned on the "AI slop" tech, posting meme after meme online making fun of how the DLSS 5 can drastically alter a character's appearance. Resident Evil Requiem's Grace was the unwitting poster child for the DLSS 5 technology, and gamers by and large rejected her DLSS 5 appearance. In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Requiem producer Masato Kumazawa seemed pleased with how players responded to the situation. "The fact a lot of players commented they really liked the original design of Grace and didn't want to see it changed was a positive," he said. "It meant we got the design right [and] points to the fact that Grace quickly established herself as a fan favorite, that people had such strong opinions on her design." Grace had something of an uphill climb to contend with in Requiem. She was a new character making her debut in the title. She was also paired with fan-favorite Leon S. Kennedy, meaning it would have been easy for her to be overshadowed. But that wasn't so. Fans quickly took to Grace; her anxiety-inducing horror sections provided a nice contrast to Leon's more action-heavy, over-the-top levels. Eurogamer notes Kumazawa couldn't comment on how his team was involved with the DLSS 5 reveal, if at all. Previous reports indicated that developers at Capcom were as surprised as viewers at home about the game's inclusion in the DLSS 5 reveal video, especially as they said the company has taken a very "anti-AI" stance on its recent and upcoming projects. Staff at Ubisoft were also surprised future Ubisoft games will support the Nvidia tech, with one employee saying, "We found out at the same time as the public." Subscribe for deeper takes on gaming tech controversies Join the newsletter to get focused coverage of gaming tech debates like DLSS 5 - balanced explanations of developer choices, player reactions, and the visual trade-offs that matter. Subscribing brings thoughtful context across gaming topics. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. If you're one of the people criticizing how Nvidia's new graphics tech will change the way Resident Evil Requiem and other games look, Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang thinks you're "completely wrong." In an interview after the DLSS 5 reveal, he responded to the backlash by explaining the technical details of the graphics tech that he believed people misunderstood, while ignoring the fact that most players were saying they didn't want Grace, Leon, and more characters to be turned into AI slop. Related Resident Evil Requiem's Grace reveals why she let Leon have all the one-liners Hard to quip when you're running scared Posts 2

Grace's face divides fans: Capcom defends design amid DLSS 5 controversy

TL;DR: Capcom stands by Resident Evil Requiem's character design despite backlash over NVIDIA's DLSS 5 altering Grace's appearance. The game sold over 6 million units in 16 days, becoming the fastest-selling Resident Evil title. Capcom urges fans to avoid spoilers amid ongoing debates on AI upscaling and creative control. Capcom has doubled down on its design for Resident Evil Requiem's character Grace, despite widespread backlash over how NVIDIA's DLSS 5 neural rendering altered her facial features. Notably, the NVIDIA video linked below is measuring at In a recent interview with Eurogamer, producer Masato Kumazawa framed the controversy as a positive, stating that the strong fan reaction to Grace's original design proved the team "got the design right." Kumazawa and director Koshi Nakanishi emphasized that the game has been well received overall, with over 6 million units sold in just 16 days, making it the fastest-selling Resident Evil title to date. The pair noted the satisfaction of seeing players enjoy the game's surprises, especially the return to Raccoon City, which they had kept under wraps to maintain the experience. Notably, Capcom also urged fans to avoid spoilers after the game's plot was leaked online ahead of launch. The company's stance on the DLSS 5 issue remains firm. Yet, it has not addressed allegations that developers were not consulted about potential visual changes introduced by the AI upscaling tech before the unveiling. With Resident Evil Requiem continuing to break sales records, the DLSS 5 debate highlights the growing tension between AI-driven upscaling and creative intent. This conversation will only intensify as next-gen tech becomes more integrated into game development. In other news, Sony has been ordered to play PlayStation gamers $7.8 million over PSN Store policies, specifically over violations with a selection of titles. For more information on that story, and to see if you are eligible for a refund, check out the link below.

Capcom calls DLSS 5 character backlash a positive signal

Capcom producer Masato Kumazawa stated the company views the controversy surrounding the DLSS 5 AI version of character Grace Ashcroft as a positive indication of the original design's popularity. Kumazawa shared insights about the game's development in an interview with Eurogamer, asserting that the backlash confirmed fans preferred Grace's initial appearance over the AI-altered version. "The fact a lot of players commented they really liked the original design of Grace and didn't want to see it changed was a positive," Kumazawa said. He remarked that this strong preference demonstrates that Grace quickly became a fan favorite. Grace Ashcroft debuted as one of two playable characters in Resident Evil Requiem, which launched in February. According to Kumazawa, the enthusiastic reception of Grace is a factor in why fans reacted negatively to the AI-altered version revealed by Nvidia in March. The DLSS 5 showcase aimed to highlight advancements in gaming visuals but faced significant criticism, particularly regarding Resident Evil Requiem. Fans expressed disappointment, comparing the AI version of Grace's face to social media AI filters. Comments included "This is horrendous" and "I love seeing my comfort character turned into a sloppy AI mess." Reports indicated that some Capcom developers were unaware that Resident Evil Requiem would feature in Nvidia's DLSS 5 showcase ahead of its announcement. Additionally, Bethesda responded to the backlash, stating that its artists would gain more control over the technology moving forward. Looking ahead, Capcom plans to employ AI to aid in game development but intends to avoid generative AI. Kumazawa reassured players that Grace would not receive an AI-generated makeover in the near future.

Capcom's glad we hated Resident Evil Requiem's terrible DLSS 5 AI demo, because it means fans "really liked the original design of Grace"

When Nvidia unveiled its AI-powered DLSS 5 tech earlier this year, Resident Evil Requiem was one of the titles on display. The yassified versions of Leon and Grace that accompanied the announcement were presented as next-generation graphics technology, but most people with eyes pretty quickly recognized them as a serious insult to the original game's art direction. For its part, Capcom is glad people hated the demo, since that means they liked the real Grace's look. "The fact a lot of players commented they really liked the original design of Grace and didn't want to see it changed was a positive," producer Masato Kumzawa tells Eurogamer. "It meant we got the design right [and] points to the fact that Grace quickly established herself as a fan favourite, that people had such strong opinions on her design." It's unclear how much input Capcom had into Requiem's appearance in Nvidia's DLSS 5 demonstration, but as part of the announcement executive producer Jun Takeuchi called the tech "another important step in pushing visual fidelity forward." I guess some might argue that Grace did, indeed, look "better" under the DLSS 5 filter, but that's largely because of all the traditional beauty markers. She's got brighter eyes, plumper lips, and clearer skin with DLSS 5 on, but it's tough to say the actual graphical fidelity has actually improved at all. And, personally, Grace doesn't strike me as the type to apply her finest lipstick before delving into unknown horrors. Nvidia has issued contradictory explanations of how DLSS 5 works, with CEO Jensen Huang insisting that it integrates with a game's internal rendering in order to apply its questionable magic. A few days later, another Nvidia employee confirmed that, nah, it really is just an AI filter applied over 2D images. DLSS has, up to this point, encompassed some genuinely cool and useful machine learning based upscaling tricks, but DLSS 5 is doing an incredible job of throwing that goodwill away.

Resident Evil Requiem Producer Sees DLSS 5 AI Backlash as 'a Positive' Because 'It Meant We Got the Design Right'

Resident Evil Requiem producer Masato Kumazawa has said Capcom sees the drama surrounding the DLSS 5 AI version of Grace Ashcroft as "a positive" because it proved Capcom "got the design right" the first time around. Kumazawa offered a deep dive into the development of the latest entry in the classic survival horror franchise during an interview with Eurogamer. When asked if the team took anything away from the conversation regarding the controversial Nvidia technology, he said the negative reaction only served as proof that fans preferred Grace's original design. "The fact a lot of players commented they really liked the original design of Grace and didn't want to see it changed was a positive," Kumazawa said without commenting on Capcom's involvement in the DLSS 5 reveal. "It meant we got the design right [and] points to the fact that Grace quickly established herself as a fan favourite, that people had such strong opinions on her design." Grace Ashcroft made her debut in the franchise as one of Resident Evil Requiem's two playable characters when it launched in February. Despite being paired with the titan that is Leon S. Kennedy, fans quickly fell in love with the part she played in its story. According to Kumazawa, it seems this is also partially why fans rejected the version of her altered by AI that Nvidia revealed in March. The footage revealed by the tech giant attempted to sell its DLSS 5 update as the next step in gaming visuals but was immediately met with criticism almost entirely across the board. While games like The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, Hogwarts Legacy, and Starfield were all featured in its reveal video, it was Resident Evil Requiem - specifically Grace Ashcroft - that was established as the face of most fans' dissatisfaction. Most compared the DLSS 5 version of the character's face to the kind of AI filters featured on some social media apps. One popular fan comment at the time said, "This is horrendous like someone put an AI filter on it like that's not even Grace." "I love seeing my comfort character turned into a sloppy AI mess!" another added. At least some Capcom developers seemingly did not know Nvidia had plans to include Resident Evil Requiem in the DLSS 5 showcase prior to its reveal. Bethesda also later acknowledged the backlash, explaining that its artists would have more control over the technology and would hopefully avoid AI criticisms in the future. Capcom has said it plans to utilize AI to help it during game development, but will steer clear of generative AI. In the meantime, Kumazawa makes it sound like players don't need to worry about Grace getting an AI-generated makeover any time soon. For more on how gamers responded to DLSS 5, you can read about why Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang feels fans are "wrong" about the tech. You can also read up on why we felt DLSS 5 is a slap in the face to the art of video game design. If you're looking to read more about Resident Evil Requiem, you can check out the PC mod that added the Merchant into the game.