Replaced finally brought a development cycle of more than five years to a close for Sad Cat Studios. What should have been a big celebration – a global launch, a strong debut, and mostly positive reviews on Steam – was almost overshadowed by two letters: AI. After one poorly worded review blurb made the rounds online, a lot of people assumed the game had been made with generative artificial intelligence, even though the line was actually referring to the story itself.

Since launching on April 14, Replaced has been praised for its 2.5D platforming, its meticulous visual direction, and its cyberpunk setting in an alternate version of 1980s America. It quickly became one of the week’s stronger-selling titles, dropping players into a world where they control a hybrid character who is part human and part artificial intelligence. And that exact narrative concept is what ended up triggering the backlash.

No, Replaced Was Not Made With Generative AI

The confusion started with an IGN post on X, where the outlet referred to Replaced as an “AI-based adventure.” In plain English, that wording was meant to describe a game whose story centers on an AI. But a lot of readers interpreted it very differently and assumed Sad Cat Studios had used generative AI to make the game itself. From there, the misunderstanding spread fast, and people began accusing the studio of using AI to create environments or other assets.

The situation escalated enough that the developers had to step in directly. In a response post, the studio’s PR manager clarified that Replaced is a 100% handcrafted game and that no generative AI was used at any point in development. They added that IGN had only been referring to the story, which revolves around an AI in an alternate 1980s America.

One Poor Choice of Words Was Enough to Set Off the Panic

Shortly afterward, IGN deleted the original post in order to stop feeding the rumor that the game had been developed with AI tools. By then, though, some of the damage had already been done, as a number of people had openly turned on Sad Cat Studios. The developer then tried to calm things down and explain the situation clearly, but the whole mess still exposed just how tense and divided the gaming audience has become on the subject of AI.

Some people do not care at all whether AI is involved in a game’s creation, while for others it is enough to make them avoid buying the product altogether and start attacking the studio behind it. What makes the Replaced situation especially revealing is that this was not even a case of actual AI use. It was a case of sloppy wording that was enough to unleash a wave of outrage on a studio that had done nothing of the sort it was being accused of.

Source: 3DJuegos