Crimson Desert Developer Pearl Abyss Auditing All Assets After AI-Generated Art Ships Undisclosed
TL;DR
- Pearl Abyss confirmed that AI-generated 2D visual props were unintentionally included in Crimson Desert's final release, violating Steam's AI content disclosure policy, days after the game launched on March 19.
- The developer has launched a comprehensive audit of all in-game assets, committed to replacing affected content in upcoming patches, and updated Crimson Desert's Steam page with the required AI disclosure that was missing at launch.
Crimson Desert launched on March 19. By the time the weekend was over, Pearl Abyss was apologising for shipping AI-generated art without disclosing it, running an audit of its entire asset library, and patching its Steam page to comply with policies it had already violated.
Not the launch week anyone wanted.
What Players Found and What Pearl Abyss Admitted
Players shared images on Reddit of paintings and signs within Crimson Desert that showed the telltale characteristics of AI-generated imagery. The community flagged them, IGN reported on it, and Pearl Abyss responded with a statement that confirmed the core issue while explaining the circumstances.
The developer said certain 2D visual props were created using AI generative tools during early-stage iteration, functioning as placeholder assets during production. The intention was always to replace them with finished human-made artwork before shipping. That replacement process failed somewhere between internal review and the final build going out the door.
"Following reports from our community, we have identified that some of these assets were unintentionally included in the final release. This is not in line with our internal standards, and we take full responsibility for it."
Pearl Abyss isn't wrong that context matters, placeholder assets used for iteration are functionally different from AI art created with the intent to ship. But the outcome for players is the same either way.
The Steam Policy Problem
The disclosure failure is the part with real procedural consequences. Steam requires developers to disclose AI-generated content on their store pages. Crimson Desert's page contained no such disclosure at launch, which put Pearl Abyss in violation of that policy from day one.
The page has since been updated. Pearl Abyss acknowledged this directly: "We acknowledge that we should have clearly disclosed our use of AI. While these tools were primarily used during early production, with the expectation that these assets would be replaced prior to release, we recognise that this does not excuse the lack of transparency."
What Happens Next
A comprehensive audit of every in-game asset is now underway, with Pearl Abyss committing to replace affected content through upcoming patches. Internal review processes are also being strengthened to prevent similar oversights in future releases.
Crimson Desert launched to divided reviews regardless, with critics praising its combat while finding the story and pacing more problematic. The AI disclosure controversy adds noise to a launch that was already navigating mixed reception, though neither issue directly affects the other.
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