AI in gaming
Headlines about AI from major gaming and tech publications, past 10 days. Each one links to the original story.
- Anime Gambling Horror Game Ditches Free Steam Demo So It Doesn’t Get Ripped Off By AI Kotaku · 16 Oct
From Kotaku: “Drunken Goddess Reflux will have a closed beta instead”
Read the full story at Kotaku → - We have reached a new threshold in genAI gloom, with a game dev cancelling a demo for fear of copycats ripping them off before release Rock Paper Shotgun · 16 Oct
From Rock Paper Shotgun: “In what I suspect is the start of a trend, assuming it isn't one already, the creators of Drunken Goddess Reflux have yanked a planned public demo partly…”
Read the full story at Rock Paper Shotgun → - Linux kernel drops AI-contribution disclosure rule, as Linus Torvalds says banning the tech would be 'utterly stupid' PC Gamer · 16 Oct
From PC Gamer: “The key thing for Torvalds is that you understand the code you submit, not how you made it.”
Read the full story at PC Gamer → - Silent Hill And Metal Gear Publisher Konami Does ‘Not Believe The Market Will Shift Significantly’ Because Of AI Kotaku · 16 Oct
From Kotaku: “The idea-making process of developers 'cannot be replaced easily,' the company insists in new financial report”
Read the full story at Kotaku → - Controversial Battlefield 6 XP changes have been reversed, with Battlefield Studios saying they were "unintended" Eurogamer · 16 Oct
From Eurogamer: “Season 5 launched in Battlefield 6 this week as planned, and though most of the new additions - new maps, weapons and vehicles, and gameplay changes - were…”
Read the full story at Eurogamer → - Sega and Creative Assembly remove Total War: Shogun 2 remaster from sale as it "falls short of both your expectations and our own standards" GamesIndustry.biz · 16 Oct
From GamesIndustry.biz: “Sega and Creative Assembly have temporarily withdrawn Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from sale in response to concerns about AI upscaling and other…”
Read the full story at GamesIndustry.biz → - Sega pulls Total War: Shogun 2 remaster from sale following disastrous launch The Verge AI · 15 Oct
From The Verge AI: “Sega is removing Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition from storefronts following a disastrous launch where users complained about issues like bugs and…”
Read the full story at The Verge AI → - Bluesky’s AI tool now lets you make games and apps to share on social The Verge AI · 15 Oct
From The Verge AI: “Bluesky's Attie AI tool, which initially launched earlier this year as a way to use AI to build your own feeds, now lets you make "small" social apps like…”
Read the full story at The Verge AI → - The AI bubble may not have burst yet, but $1 trillion worth of air appears to have escaped PC Gamer · 15 Oct
From PC Gamer: “Not so much 'going out with a bang' as 'anticlimactic party balloon deflation'.”
Read the full story at PC Gamer → - I jammed Nvidia's new DLSS 5 October update model into the RTX Spark and it's 25% faster at 1440p PC Gamer · 15 Oct
From PC Gamer: “The performance hit you get from enabling DLSS Neural Rendering is now significantly lower, but NBA 2K27 is still not going to convince anyone.”
Read the full story at PC Gamer → - Sega pulls Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from stores over bugs and AI art VGC · 15 Oct
From VGC: “The original 2011 was pulled from sale due to the new version of the game being released”
Read the full story at VGC → - DayZ creator Dean Hall says "our industry is rotting from its core" because of big-company "greed", aiming shots at Epic's Unreal and Unity Eurogamer · 15 Oct
From Eurogamer: “UPDATED 3.30PM BST: Dean Hall has explained more about his idea in an email exchange with Eurogamer, clarifying issues such as whether it uses or welcomes any…”
Read the full story at Eurogamer → - State lawsuits accuse OpenAI of ignoring its own safety warnings for profit: 'All these harms were foreseeable and avoidable' PC Gamer · 14 Oct
From PC Gamer: “Several US states have sued the company, alleging that ChatGPT is harming the public.”
Read the full story at PC Gamer → - No more hand-written code? Epic's Disney project reportedly shifts to 'AI-First' development Game Developer · 14 Oct
From Game Developer: “Developers working on the upcoming Star Wars and Marvel shooter have been reportedly instructed to lean heavily on AI, especially during the creation of code…”
Read the full story at Game Developer → - Epic throws shade at Steam, admits to vibe-coding the new Epic Games Launcher with AI "to be faster than the other guy" Eurogamer · 14 Oct
From Eurogamer: “Epic Games isn't lifting its foot off the gen-AI pedal.”
Read the full story at Eurogamer → - "We vibe coded a new Epic Games Launcher" because "programming is hard", announce company we're somehow supposed to see as a serious Steam competitor Rock Paper Shotgun · 14 Oct
From Rock Paper Shotgun: “Days after a report emerged about them imposing an "AI-first" production model on the devs of a new Disney shooter, Epic Games have released a new version of…”
Read the full story at Rock Paper Shotgun → - Asha Sharma announces Xbox Labs project to "explore new technology," which sure sounds like tinkering with old games through AI Rock Paper Shotgun · 14 Oct
From Rock Paper Shotgun: “As part of Microsoft's ongoing , physics-ignoring push to do more business with thousands fewer staff , games chief Asha Sharma has announced Xbox Labs: a new…”
Read the full story at Rock Paper Shotgun → - Halo’s co-creator wrote a novel about AI taking over the world The Verge · 14 Oct
From The Verge: “Back in 2019, author Margaret Stohl was handed a manuscript written by Jason Jones, who's best known as the co-creator of sci-fi gaming series Halo and Destiny.”
Read the full story at The Verge → - Epic’s new games launcher is ‘vibe coded’ The Verge · 14 Oct
From The Verge: “Epic Games is announcing a big refresh of its PC games launcher today in preview, saying that the new version is "way faster" and now supports Linux.”
Read the full story at The Verge → - "My idea of a Netflix for games doesn’t work": Garry's Mod creator says struggling spiritual successor S&box will go free to play as part of major rethink Rock Paper Shotgun · 14 Oct
From Rock Paper Shotgun: “Earlier this year, Garry's Mod and Rust developers Facepunch Studios released S&box , a mix of open source game development platform/spiritual successor to…”
Read the full story at Rock Paper Shotgun → - If you've sworn off genAI Crazy Taxi and dislike all the twerking in GTA 6, consider Shifu: Traffic Masters, a jolly open world driving game set in 1990s China Rock Paper Shotgun · 14 Oct
From Rock Paper Shotgun: “I'm not your guy for computerised automobile magic picture shows, or "car videogames" as they are popularly known – for that, we turn fearfully to Mark Warren,…”
Read the full story at Rock Paper Shotgun → - Xbox announces what sounds like a generative AI-focused game-making department, Xbox Labs, while avoiding mentioning AI Eurogamer · 14 Oct
From Eurogamer: “Xbox is reacting - uncharacteristically quickly - to the deluge of vibe-coded game ports, decompiles and recompiles we've been seeing online in recent weeks by…”
Read the full story at Eurogamer → - Dwarf Fortress creator Tarn Adams is as tired of genAI in the industry as anyone else, and is pretty set on never using it Rock Paper Shotgun · 13 Oct
From Rock Paper Shotgun: “Another day of news, another day in which I find something genAI - related to write about while sighing.”
Read the full story at Rock Paper Shotgun → - A guide to six regulatory risks shaping games in 2026 GamesIndustry.biz · 13 Oct
From GamesIndustry.biz: “Dr Simon Hembt is counsel at Bird & Bird in Frankfurt, Germany.”
Read the full story at GamesIndustry.biz → - "No more hand-written code": Epic reportedly impose "AI-first" model on creators of new Disney shooter with Marvel and Star Wars characters Rock Paper Shotgun · 12 Oct
From Rock Paper Shotgun: “The happy-go-lucky bigwigs at Epic Games have instructed the creators of an unannounced shooter that features Marvel and Star Wars characters to complete their…”
Read the full story at Rock Paper Shotgun → - Epic Games reportedly pivoting to "AI first" game development model Ars Technica · 12 Oct
From Ars Technica: “"No more hand-written code" or AI-free art for delayed Marvel/Star Wars shooter.”
Read the full story at Ars Technica → - Epic Games delays Disney game and tells developers to go "AI first" GamesIndustry.biz · 12 Oct
From GamesIndustry.biz: “Epic Games has delayed its upcoming Disney collaboration - a shooter featuring characters from the Marvel and Star Wars franchises - and told developers to…”
Read the full story at GamesIndustry.biz → - Epic Games reportedly delays Star Wars and Marvel shooter, as the Fortnite maker embraces "AI-accelerated development" Eurogamer · 12 Oct
From Eurogamer: “Epic Games has reportedly turned to gen-AI to finish up development on a shooter that crosses over Star Wars and Marvel, which has been internally delayed.”
Read the full story at Eurogamer → - Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii releases game he says he made with AI in about 30 minutes GamesIndustry.biz · 12 Oct
From GamesIndustry.biz: “Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, says he has produced a new game using AI in about 30 minutes.”
Read the full story at GamesIndustry.biz → - Dragon Quest co-creator Yuji Horii releases new AI-generated game, and he says it took 30 minutes to make Eurogamer · 12 Oct
From Eurogamer: “Dragon Quest co-creator Yuji Horii has just released a new game that he says was made (or, rather, prompted) in about half an hour thanks to gen-AI.”
Read the full story at Eurogamer → - Nvidia are abandoning their RTX 5090 graphics cards in order to focus on AI dev friendly RTX Pro ones, leaker claims Rock Paper Shotgun · 12 Oct
From Rock Paper Shotgun: “Nvidia, AI-obsessives to the point of yassifying basketballers , are shifting production away from their top of the range RTX 5090 consumer graphics cards in…”
Read the full story at Rock Paper Shotgun → - The happiest man in gaming hates generative AI GamesIndustry.biz · 12 Oct
From GamesIndustry.biz: “It's impossible to not be swept up in Tarn Adams' enthusiasm.”
Read the full story at GamesIndustry.biz → - The Blood of Dawnwalker's lead actor reminds us why AI will always struggle to replicate a human performance Eurogamer · 12 Oct
From Eurogamer: “Will de Renzy-Martin, the actor who plays lead character Coen in the English language version of The Blood of Dawnwalker, has reminded us of the value humans…”
Read the full story at Eurogamer → - As Xbox and PlayStation sales reach new lows, analyst says the "US hardware market has not been in a more precarious position since the early 80s" Eurogamer · 9 Oct
From Eurogamer: “PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles are more expensive than ever in most markets, thanks largely to memory components being gobbled up by AI data centres.”
Read the full story at Eurogamer →
Other gaming headlines
- Tech founder vibe codes game about shooting 'zombies' in San Francisco's poorest neighborhood PC Gamer · 16 Oct
From PC Gamer: “City residents and leaders denounced the free web game, which was taken down.”
Read the full story at PC Gamer → - The Cyberpunk 2077 movie won't be 'a film adaptation of the game,' CD Projekt chief says PC Gamer · 16 Oct
From PC Gamer: “The game is great, but CD Projekt wants to tell a new story.”
Read the full story at PC Gamer → - 8 Call of Duty Games Still Missing from Game Pass Polygon · 16 Oct
From Polygon: “Game Pass has a few excellent Call of Duty games available, but some of the best entries from years past are conspicuously absent.”
Read the full story at Polygon → - Fans Are Comparing Grand Theft Auto 6′s Latest Trailer To Its First And Complaining That It’s A Blurry ‘Downgrade’ Kotaku · 16 Oct
From Kotaku: “God forbid someone in Rockstar Games' marketing department decided to add a little artistic flair to a trailer”
Read the full story at Kotaku → - Kingdom Hearts’ Opening Is Still Incredible Kotaku · 16 Oct
From Kotaku: “Sora’s adventure begins with an ominous, terrifying nightmare”
Read the full story at Kotaku → - Resident Evil 2 on Switch 2 Is My New Favorite Way to Play Capcom's Horror Masterpiece Polygon · 16 Oct
From Polygon: “Resident Evil 2 on Switch 2 runs smoothly and looks great, thanks in part to HDR's effects on colors and lighting”
Read the full story at Polygon → - 9 Most Perfect Single-Player Zelda Clones Nobody Plays, Ranked Polygon · 16 Oct
From Polygon: “From a yoyo adventure to a game where you die every minute, these nine overlooked single-player Zelda-likes are ranked by weirdness.”
Read the full story at Polygon → - 10 New Movies to Watch This Weekend on Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO Max (October 16-18) Polygon · 16 Oct
From Polygon: “On this weekend's streaming and VOD movie column, there's the most recent take on Dracula and a horror movie about the plushy star of a kids' TV show.”
Read the full story at Polygon → - Early Reviews Of You Can See Everything Are Stressing Me Out Kotaku · 16 Oct
From Kotaku: “I've never been more scared to see a movie that's not a horror film”
Read the full story at Kotaku → - Who The Hell Was That In The Street Fighter Movie Because It Wasn’t Cammy Kotaku · 16 Oct
From Kotaku: “Mel Jarnson plays Cammy, or at the very least, someone going by that name”
Read the full story at Kotaku → - I haven't wanted to 100% a game in a long time, but… PC Gamer · 16 Oct
From PC Gamer: “I've only played a bit of offroad driving sim Over the Hill, but I'm already hooked.”
Read the full story at PC Gamer → - How Should Video Game Ownership Work In An All-Digital Future? Kotaku · 16 Oct
From Kotaku: “Legislative pressure could force companies to change how digital game licenses work”
Read the full story at Kotaku → - 8 New TV Shows to Watch This Weekend on Netflix, Disney, and Hulu (October 16-18) Polygon · 16 Oct
From Polygon: “In this weekend's TV column, we highlight major releases, among them, the end of an era for Marvel streaming and a prequel to a horror icon.”
Read the full story at Polygon → - 'We f**ked up': 1 day into Wardogs Season 2, the Blue team bribery bonus is being dropped PC Gamer · 16 Oct
From PC Gamer: “Bulkhead's effort to make life better for the Blues worked a little too well.”
Read the full story at PC Gamer → - US Rep proposes bill to give video game buyers "ownership," not "a license" Ars Technica · 16 Oct
From Ars Technica: “There are still significant hurdles ahead, both technical and legislative.”
Read the full story at Ars Technica → - Castlevania‘s Most Iconic Song Should Chain Whip Me To Death, Not Put Me In A Thousand Year Sleep Kotaku · 16 Oct
From Kotaku: “The Belmont's Curse version of "Bloody Tars" is more restrained than it should be”
Read the full story at Kotaku → - Ready Or Not: The Kotaku Review Kotaku · 16 Oct
From Kotaku: “It's useless to moralize: the sick thrill is the point”
Read the full story at Kotaku → - Every DC Studios Movie and TV Show in Coming Through 2028 (and Beyond) Polygon · 16 Oct
From Polygon: “Warner Bros.”
Read the full story at Polygon → - How to get the DLC weapons in Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave Polygon · 16 Oct
From Polygon: “Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave's DLC weapons are powerful, if fragile, additions to your armory.”
Read the full story at Polygon → - New RPG From Final Fantasy, Persona Vets Borrows From The Past To Ask How We Can Save The Future Kotaku · 16 Oct
From Kotaku: “Eternal Anima finds surprising strategic depth in letting you foresee your opponent's next move”
Read the full story at Kotaku →
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