Arc Raiders Publisher Defends Generative AI Use, Insists ‘Every Game Company’ Is Now Using It
In a recent development in the gaming industry, Nexon, the publisher of the newly released title **Arc Raiders**, has come under scrutiny for its use of generative AI in game development. While Nexon has stated that players should “assume that every game company is now using AI,” the specifics of how AI is implemented in **Arc Raiders** have been clarified by its developer, Embark. According to Embark, the game does not employ generative AI but utilizes machine learning techniques primarily for improving the locomotion of in-game drones. This distinction is crucial as it highlights the ongoing debate surrounding AI’s role in creative processes within the gaming sector. The developer emphasized that while AI tools assist in content creation, the final product is a reflection of the team’s creativity, ensuring that human input remains central to the game’s development.
The conversation surrounding AI in gaming is not isolated to **Arc Raiders**. Industry leaders, including EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson and Square Enix executives, have echoed the sentiment that AI is becoming integral to gaming operations, suggesting that companies must adopt AI strategies to maintain competitiveness. This trend is contrasted by Nintendo’s approach, where Shigeru Miyamoto has indicated a preference for a different direction regarding AI usage. Despite the mixed opinions on AI’s role, **Arc Raiders** has achieved remarkable commercial success, selling over 4 million copies within two weeks of its launch and reaching a peak concurrent player count of 700,000. The game has garnered positive reviews, with IGN praising its gripping gameplay and impressive graphics, underscoring its potential to set a new standard in the extraction shooter genre.
As the gaming industry continues to evolve with AI integration, the debate about its implications for creativity and game development remains vibrant. Nexon’s commitment to leveraging AI for efficiency in production and live service operations reflects a broader trend among game developers. However, the varying approaches—ranging from aggressive AI adoption to cautious exploration—demonstrate the industry’s diverse perspectives on balancing innovation with the essence of gaming creativity. As players engage with titles like **Arc Raiders**, the ongoing discourse about AI’s role in shaping the future of gaming will undoubtedly persist, influencing both development strategies and player experiences alike.
Arc Raiders
publisher Nexon has defended the game’s use of generative AI, suggesting players should “assume that every game company is now using AI.”
Arc Raiders, like developer Embark’s 2023 shooter,
The Finals
, declares it uses AI in development, stating on its Steam store page: “During the development process, we may use procedural- and AI-based tools to assist with content creation. In all such cases, the final product reflects the creativity and expression of our own development team.”
Embark expanded on this with
PCGamesN
recently, saying Arc Raiders “in no way uses generative AI whatsoever” and stressed that it instead used “something called machine learning, or reinforcement learning, and that’s to do with the locomotion for our larger drones with multiple legs, but there’s no generative content whatsoever.”
However, in the same interview, design director Virgil Watkins added that with regards to its controversial text-to-speech system, it “hire[d] and contract[ed] voice actors for it — it’s part of their contract that we use [AI] for this purpose, and that allows us to do things like our ping system, where it’s capable of saying every single item name, every single location name, and compass directions. That’s how we can get that without needing to have someone come in every time we create a new item for the game.”
Now, in a fresh interview with
Game*Spark
(as translated by
Automaton
), Junghun Lee, CEO of Arc Raiders’ publisher Nexon, not only championed AI for improving “efficiency in both game production and live service operations,” but also stated: “I think it’s important to assume that every game company is now using AI.”
“First of all, I think it’s important to assume that every game company is now using AI,” Lee said. “But if everyone is working with the same or similar technologies, the real question becomes: how do you survive? I believe it’s important to choose a strategy that increases your competitiveness.”
It certainly feels as though Lee’s comments ring true. EA CEO Andrew Wilson has
said AI is “the very core of our business,”
and Square Enix recently implemented mass layoffs and reorganized, saying it needed to
be “aggressive in applying AI
.” Dead Space creator Glen Schofield also recently detailed
his plans to “fix” the industry in part via the use of generative AI in game development
, and former God of War dev Meghan Morgan Juinio said: “… if we don’t embrace [AI],
I think we’re selling ourselves short
.”
Conversely, Nintendo has bucked the trend, with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto previously stressing that the company
would rather go in a “different direction” than the rest of the video game industry
when it comes to AI.
That said, its use of AI clearly hasn’t held Arc Raiders back. It’s now sold over 4 million copies worldwide less than two weeks since its release date, cementing its commercial success. Nexon also revealed that the extraction shooter had reached
a huge concurrent count of 700,000 players across all platforms
.
“ARC Raiders raises the bar for extraction shooters pretty much across the board, with an incredibly gripping progression grind, tense fights against NPCs and other players that make for memorable matches, and loot that feels completely worth all the work and stress it takes to obtain it,” we wrote in
IGN’s Arc Raiders review
, which returned an ‘Amazing’ 9/10.
“The fact that it manages to also run well and look amazing all the while is just downright impressive, even if a few bugs here and there lead to the rare rage quit. For years I’d been wondering when someone would take the awesome promise of this genre to the next level, and ARC Raiders is without question what I’ve been waiting for.”
If this has tempted you into jumping into Arc Raiders, check out our guide to the
best settings
, find out what
skills we recommend unlocking
first, and see
how to earn loot by delivering field depot crates
.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at
BlueSky
.
