11 Bit Studios was recently accused of using generative AI during the development of The Alters, released in June. The studio acknowledged that the technology was used in certain instances—but only temporarily or due to time constraints—and insisted it was never intended for final inclusion. The game holds an 84 score on Metacritic and has been praised for its narrative structure, where the story unfolds through different versions of the same protagonist. Still, controversy has now emerged.

What Went Wrong?

The main issue stems from poor translations in Portuguese, Russian, and German, allegedly generated by AI. Valve’s updated policy requires developers to disclose if generative AI contributed to the final product, yet The Alters‘ Steam page lacks such information.

In a Twitter statement, the studio wrote: “AI-generated assets were used strictly as temporary works-in-progress and in very limited cases. One AI-generated text was mistakenly included as a placeholder background graphic and has since been replaced. This was an isolated oversight.” They added that some last-minute licensed video content in the game was localized using AI due to time pressure, but professional translations are now being implemented post-launch.

Consequences and Broader Context

Using generative AI in early development is common across the industry. What matters is transparency. Valve’s policy emphasizes disclosure, and while most studios comply, 11 Bit Studios‘ lack of openness has sparked backlash and raised questions about future enforcement.

As one Reddit commenter aptly put it: “Using AI in prototyping is acceptable, but players deserve transparency.”

Source: WCCFTech, Eurogamer, Steam