Thursday May 14 - Added a statement from Neowiz explaining how the new role will work, in which it explains that gen AI will be used strictly as a pre-production tool, using a library trained exclusively on assets it owns. It notes, "All final assets for the upcoming game will be created by experienced artists."
A new job listing on Neowiz's career page has confirmed that Round8, the developer behind much-renowned soulslike game, Lies of P, is hiring an "AI Creator" for its Game Art and Creative team. The listing states that the team is looking for someone who can "leverage generative AI technology to maximize the efficiency of the art production process and innovate the visual quality of games," which I'm sure is as disappointing to you as it is to me.
Per the new job listing, however, it appears that Round8 is looking to integrate generative AI into its artistic workflows. The company is actively working on a Lies of P sequel, which could be one of the projects the prospective candidate would be working on.
"We are looking for valuable colleagues who will combine the creativity of artists with the productivity of AI to build Round8 Studio's unrivaled art pipeline together," the ad reads.
It goes on to list the various role responsibilities, which include "creation of character/background concept drafts and expansion of variations using Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, etc.", and "integrating AI tools into existing art workflows to reduce production time and build an efficient AI art pipeline."
Other core duties include AI-based texturing, "upscaling of AI products to a level applicable to actual games," as well as keeping up with "the latest generative AI trends" and providing internal guidance to other artists. It's pretty clear, then, that Round8 is planning to use AI-generated artwork - perhaps with a bit of polishing - in its games. I've reached out to Neowiz for further clarification on the role, and will update this story if I receive a response.
In my Lies of P review, I actively praised the game's stunning, Bloodborne-esque visuals. Krat, while certainly reminiscent of Yharnam, has its own steampunk aesthetic, with its towering factories and eerie circus feel meshing together to create a universe that's equal parts unsettling and spectacular. Its promotional artwork has consistently taken my breath away, too, even if Pinocchio himself still reminds me of early-Dune era Timothée Chalamet.
To think that all of that character - all of that luxurious, Victorian soul - could be replaced with gen AI slop really does make my golden, clockwork heart just… drop. Crimson Desert has come under fire for AI. So has Call of Duty. I have to ask why companies just aren't quite getting the memo, especially when they have such talented art departments in the first place. Maybe I'm just a doomer; maybe I need to get with the times. But of all the studios to be embracing AI, Round8 perhaps hurts the most so far.
Update - Thursday May 14: Neowiz has responded to my request for comment. It explains, "The job posting in question is not a role that will be directly involved in the production of the Lies of P sequel. Instead, they will reside within an independent art R&D team at Round8. Gen-AI tools are only used in preliminary stage work to improve efficiency of repetitive, foundational tasks.
"AI-generated visuals function strictly as internal reference material during pre-production, a method for establishing visual direction before formal production begins. The intent is to build a proprietary visual library trained exclusively on assets for which Neowiz and Round8 hold full legal rights. All final assets for the upcoming game will be created by experienced artists."