AI in game development is becoming a hot button issue, and the latest controversy involves 11-bit Studios and their indie title The Alters. Players have uncovered ChatGPT prompt texts embedded in the game, leading to a backlash over the lack of disclosure about AI use during development.
Steam and other platforms have begun requiring developers to clearly state if AI was used in creating their games. It’s a move aimed at giving players more info to decide what they want to support. But 11-bit Studios seems to have missed that memo, and gamers quickly noticed.
The Alters Under Fire For Not Disclosing AI Use
On social media, users highlighted moments in The Alters where AI-generated text prompts appear briefly before spawning in-game science jargon. One Bluesky user, pixeldie, posted images showing this exact thing. Meanwhile, players using Brazilian Portuguese subtitles reported bizarre, glitchy translations that appear to be AI output gone awry. Screenshots confirm these subtitle oddities.
There’s even a dedicated Steam discussion thread titled “The game is using AI-generated content without a proper Steam Page disclaimer!“. The frustration is clear. One post reads, “This is absolutely unacceptable. 11 bit studios has been caught using AI in The Alters without ANY disclaimer on the Steam page.”
Though 11-bit hasn’t publicly responded yet, Handong Ryu, credited with translating most of the Korean version, spoke on LinkedIn about the issue. He confirmed the Korean localization shows signs of being processed by a language model without proper editing, which aligns with the backlash from Korean players. He mentioned it’s been disheartening to witness the adverse reaction, especially since he wasn’t involved in that part.
Despite this, The Alters remains one of the year’s standout games with an 86 average on Open Critic and a “Mighty” rating. Will this AI controversy impact sales? Probably not much, since many players either don’t mind AI use or won’t even notice.
AI isn’t just an indie thing either. Even Sony has experimented with it in some of its projects, with mixed reactions. As studios close and jobs vanish, AI use to cut costs is a sensitive subject. I get why many have strong feelings about it.
