Gacha game Blue Archive producer warns careless AI use is eroding player trust
Photo: Blue Archive
A senior developer behind the popular gacha game Blue Archive has said careless use of generative artificial intelligence is damaging creative standards and weakening trust between studios and players.
Yongha Kim, a producer at Nexon Games, addressed the issue in a recent interview, describing what he referred to as “AI slop” and its impact on player perception.
Kim’s comments come amid growing debate over AI use in game development. Over the past year, artificial intelligence has become a divisive topic across the industry, with several high-profile studios facing criticism. As scrutiny increases, developers are adopting sharply different approaches to the technology.
Speaking to GameMeca, Kim said the current reaction from players is driven by declining quality rather than misunderstanding. “First, we have the issue of AI slop, when reckless use of generative AI lowers the quality of the output,” he said.
According to Kim, repeated exposure to low-effort or poorly integrated AI-generated content has led players to question a studio’s commitment to craftsmanship.
He compared the situation to misleading packaging. “Even if the packaging looks appealing, if the actual amount of snacks inside it was reduced and the bag was filled with air, of course, the consumers would react negatively,” he said.
Kim added that these concerns are amplified in niche and subculture-driven genres such as gacha games, where players value a clear sense of authorship.
He described current transformer and diffusion-based AI models as “merely simulators” and questioned whether genuine creative intent can be conveyed through them. “Can the creator’s authenticity really be incorporated into that?” he asked.
Despite his criticism, Kim acknowledged that Nexon Games does use AI internally. He said the IO division responsible for Blue Archive applies AI tools for speech synthesis, voice recognition and reducing repetitive workloads, rather than for replacing creative decision-making.