"Red Desert" is suspected of containing AI-generated content, but the store did not mark it

Pearl Abyss’ recently released action-adventure game “Red Desert” has been revealed to contain AI-generated art content. While playing "Red Desert", Reddit users Rex_Spy and Due-Perspective9206 discovered that some of the art materials in the game were suspected to be generated by AI. The materials involved included a series of paintings displayed in the game.

It is worth noting that the Steam platform requires developers to disclose whether generative AI is used in the production of games released on the platform, but the store page of "Red Desert" does not make any relevant explanation about this.

The above-mentioned paintings in "Red Desert" that are suspected to be AI-generated can be seen below.

Red Desert players who want to see these paintings for themselves can find them in Oakenshield Manor, southwest of the game's first town. There are many visual logical contradictions in these paintings, which directly expose the use of generative AI in their production process. For example, the white horse in the middle left of the first painting has its legs drawn into a tail, and the rider is integrated into the horse's body like a centaur.

There is a suspected case of AI-generated art materials in "Red Desert", which also proves from the side that the development process of this game is full of twists and turns. Recently, two anonymous developers who participated in the development of "Red Desert" at Pearl Abyss spoke out on Blind, a workplace social platform open only to certified professionals in the industry, criticizing the game's chaotic narrative and "completely out of control" development process. It can be seen from their description that the project was plagued by repeated changes in development direction and confusing narrative logic; at the same time, they mentioned that the "toxic positive energy" culture within the studio resulted in valuable feedback being unable to be passed upward at all. One of the developers said that "the plot of the game was not finalized until the eve of its release," which had a negative impact on the entire project. Another developer confirmed the issues, saying the company's organizational structure inherently discourages employees from raising objections.

"Red Desert" will be officially released on March 19, 2026, and will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC platforms.

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