Grace, one of the lead characters in Resident Evil Requiem, has become a talking point for reasons unrelated to the game itself: NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 showcase visibly changed her face. Players overwhelmingly rejected that version, but Capcom’s producer believes the reaction proves the original character design works.

Grace has recently been in the spotlight for a reason that has little to do with the actual gameplay of Resident Evil Requiem. Back in March, NVIDIA surprised players with the reveal of DLSS 5, a new AI-powered upscaling technology designed to improve video game visuals. The problem started when the technology was showcased using Grace, one of the co-leads of the latest Resident Evil, and the result looked noticeably different from Capcom’s original character design. Many players did not read the change as a simple technical adjustment, but as something that altered her face and expression enough to strip away part of the raw, deliberate design that made Grace work in the first place.

Masato Kumazawa, producer of Resident Evil Requiem, addressed the DLSS 5 controversy and other aspects of the game in an interview with Eurogamer UK. When discussing NVIDIA’s technology and the user reaction to its effect on Grace, Kumazawa said that “the fact that many players said they really liked Grace’s original design and didn’t want it changed was positive.” According to him, this meant the team had nailed the character design, and it also showed that Grace had quickly established herself as a fan favorite, with players holding very strong opinions about her appearance.

Eurogamer UK notes that Kumazawa could not comment on Capcom’s involvement in the implementation of DLSS 5 in Resident Evil Requiem. Still, NVIDIA has not been idle while receiving a wave of criticism from users. That does not mean its plans have changed, either. Jensen Huang, the company’s CEO, made headlines shortly after the DLSS 5 reveal by saying that gamers were “completely wrong” about the technology because it does not remove creative control from studios. A few days later, the executive spoke more sympathetically about community concerns and stated that he also despises the so-called “slop” that artificial intelligence can generate, while still making clear that DLSS 5 is here to stay.

Capcom And Its Position On The Use Of Artificial Intelligence In Video Game Development

The debates surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in the video game industry do not only affect the visual side of games. Studios have spent years discussing, testing, and positioning themselves around how these tools can, and cannot, be integrated into development pipelines. Capcom has not been left out of that conversation. The Japanese company has acknowledged that it is studying the technology, mainly with the goal of improving efficiency and productivity across its projects.

However, there is one line Capcom currently does not want to cross: integrating content created with generative AI into its games. That means players should not, for the time being, expect to see textures or models created with those tools in Capcom titles. That is why the Grace controversy touched such a sensitive point. The community was not simply rejecting a technology demo, but the feeling that a carefully designed character had been visibly reshaped by an external technological layer. Based on Capcom’s reaction, the studio is treating that not as a failure, but as confirmation that the original design was strong enough for players to defend it immediately.

Source: 3DJuegos