Some players are convinced that the latest cinematic short introducing the world of Marathon was generated with artificial intelligence, and that suspicion has deeply offended its director. Alberto Mielgo firmly denies using any kind of generative AI in the production and stresses that the project is the result of months of work carried out by a team of 155 people.

At this point, it is fair to say that Marathon is turning into one of PlayStation’s most troublesome projects. Bungie’s shooter has not even reached the market yet, but it has already become the center of multiple controversies, and many players are convinced that it will flop the moment it finally launches. Now Sony’s next live service title is back under the community’s microscope, because some fans believe its most recent short film was produced with artificial intelligence. The video’s director, Alberto Mielgo, has categorically rejected these claims.

The piece in question is a cinematic trailer lasting more than eight minutes, designed to introduce the universe of Marathon and the characters we will be able to control in this new shooter experience. The video was released over seven months ago, on April 12, 2025, and at that time, the debates it generated revolved mainly around Bungie’s chosen art style and PlayStation’s decision to once again embrace the Game as a Service (GaaS) model. However, as mentioned earlier, the presentation has now sparked a second wave of discussion because users suspect that AI tools may have been used to create some of its cutscenes.

Mielgo responded to the accusations in an Instagram post where he not only denied using Artificial Intelligence on the Marathon video, but also made it clear that he has no intention of relying on such tools. “I can’t believe we’ve reached the point where I have to clarify this, but here goes: this is not AI. Hello? Everything you see in this short film (paintings, animations, 2D and 3D work, compositing, and renderings) was done by a huge team; 155 incredible people and a hell of an hour, days, months… Yes, our Achilles’ heel: time,” he wrote, underlining that every frame comes from a large crew, with 155 talented people pouring countless hours, days and months into the project, and that time is the real cost they paid.

“I truly love this little film,” Mielgo continues. “Many of you have asked me what my opinion is on AI… Honestly, I have no idea. But one thing is for sure: AI will never take away my desire or joy of creating art and painting (or yours). That part will never be replaced.” With this message, the director of the Marathon short is trying to put an end to a debate that has been buzzing around the gaming community for days and to send a clear signal that, in his view, no algorithm can replace the joy of creating.

Marathon Has Become A Complicated Project For PlayStation

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, Marathon is walking a very rocky path. After its initial presentations were met with strong criticism, Bungie and PlayStation announced that they would delay the release, using the extra time to refine the experience based on fan feedback. Their goal is to eventually deliver a game that truly meets expectations sometime during the current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2026.

We obviously cannot see the future, so it is impossible to say what will happen to Marathon once it finally comes out. What is clear, however, is that the development process has permanently altered the relationship between Sony and Bungie, reducing the creative independence that the makers of Destiny 2 once enjoyed. Whatever their next title turns out to be, the studio is no longer exactly the same company that once won players over with its previous major projects.

Source: 3djuegos