Crimson Desert is out, but instead of just talking about combat and exploration, players have locked onto something else: AI art sitting inside the game.
It didn’t take long. Within hours of launch, players started sharing screenshots of odd-looking murals and paintings. The style felt off. Soon, many were convinced these were made using generative AI. The bigger issue was that there was no clear disclosure.
That’s when things turned messy.
Crimson Desert AI art controversy forces Pearl Abyss to respond
Pearl Abyss has now addressed the situation. The studio says those assets were only meant for early development. They were used to quickly test ideas and mood, not to be part of the final game.
But somehow, a few of those pieces slipped through and made it into launch.
The team admits that’s on them. They also said they should have been upfront about using AI tools during development, especially on platforms like Steam.
Now, they’re going back through everything. Every asset is being checked, and anything linked to AI will be removed. They’re also tightening their internal process to avoid a repeat.
Players aren’t fully aligned on this. Some think it’s a small mistake. Others see it as a trust issue.
Either way, Crimson Desert now has more than just gameplay debates to deal with.
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