Hotta Studio and Perfect World Games have confirmed that AI-assisted tools were used in NTE: Neverness to Everness, after players started pointing out suspicious-looking visuals in the game.
The issue blew up when players spotted examples of what looked like generative AI in certain graphics and visual elements. After clips began circulating online, the NTE team posted a statement saying that AI tools were involved, but only for a limited set of background and environmental assets.
According to the developers, the core parts of the game — characters, story, and worldbuilding — were still made by human artists, writers, and designers. The team also said it is now reviewing and reworking two flagged pieces: Clear Skies in Summer and Pink Paws Heist.
What the statement did not clearly say, though, is whether those assets will be fully remade by human artists, reanimated from scratch, or simply adjusted. It also did not include an apology for using AI-generated material in the first place, which is probably why the response has not fully calmed players down.
For Malaysian and SEA players, this is not just some random internet drama. NTE is the kind of game that sits right in the middle of the region’s mobile, PC, and gacha-style open-world audience. If you play games like Genshin Impact, Tower of Fantasy, Wuthering Waves, or Zenless Zone Zero, this is exactly the space NTE is trying to compete in.
That makes trust a big deal. Players are already investing time, storage space, hype, and eventually maybe real money into these games. When a studio uses AI art without being upfront about it from the beginning, people will naturally ask: what else was made with shortcuts, and how much human creative work is actually behind the product?
The situation got even messier after Vtuber Ironmouse said the companies behind NTE had told her there was no generative AI in the game while discussing a paid stream. After the issue surfaced, she said she would not play games that include AI-generated content.
Voice actress Meggie-Elise, who appears in NTE, also criticised the situation. She said she was unhappy with the companies involved and indicated she would leave the game if the offending art is not properly addressed and removed.
This puts Hotta Studio and Perfect World Games in a tough spot. Saying AI was only used on a small number of background assets might be technically true, but for a lot of fans, the bigger problem is transparency. If players and creators only find out after launch because someone spotted weird visuals, the damage is already done.
NTE: Neverness to Everness is available on PS5, PC, Android, and iOS. For now, the next move is on the developers: either fully clean up the flagged assets and explain the process properly, or risk this becoming one of those controversies that follows the game every time it appears online.
Source: Siliconera