Hooded Horse, the publisher behind Manor Lords and Against the Storm, says it is committed to keeping generative AI out of games it publishes and puts that restriction into contracts with partner studios.
The publisher’s policy covers more than finished assets. Hooded Horse prohibits AI-generated art and imagery during early development too. The company says that using generative tools as placeholders or for concept work can introduce AI content that survives into later builds, so the ban is written to apply across the whole process.
Hooded Horse pointed to recent examples where AI-generated placeholders persisted through launch, citing the situation around Sandfall’s Clair Obscur as a case where generated textures remained in a released game until after launch.
CEO Tim Bender frames the policy as both contractual and cultural. He argues that formal clauses matter but alignment between publisher and developer is the central safeguard. “The importance is the alignment. There is no enforcement against developers, because the developers are aligned,“ Bender said, according to his comments about Hooded Horse’s stance on AI and developer treatment and company policy.
Hooded Horse warns that keeping AI out is not a one-off decision. The publisher says teams must remain vigilant at every milestone, reviewing conversations, methods and approvals to stop generative content from being introduced by mistake or convenience.
Even with contracts and stated alignment, the publisher acknowledges the practical difficulty of policing generative tools in a development ecosystem where AI is widely available. Hooded Horse plans ongoing oversight during development to try to prevent accidental inclusion of AI-created assets.
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