Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert hit the ground running—2 million copies sold in 24 hours. But within days, an uncomfortable question surfaced: are those in-game paintings actually handmade?
Players began zooming into environmental artwork on Reddit and Discord, pointing out anatomically impossible horses, distorted hands, and inconsistent art styles. Professional artists backed up the assessment: the paintings appeared to be AI-generated, not commissioned from human artists.
The Problem Isn’t the Art—It’s the Silence
From a technical standpoint, using AI to populate decorative background paintings is a reasonable cost-saving measure. Game budgets are massive, and generating thousands of placeholder artworks via AI could save weeks of outsourced labour.
The real issue is disclosure. Valve’s Steam platform has required developers to flag AI-generated content since 2024. Crimson Desert’s store page carries no such disclosure. Meanwhile, Pearl Abyss has publicly marketed the game as “hand-crafted,” which directly contradicts the evidence players found.
This creates a credibility gap. If Pearl Abyss disclosed AI usage upfront, player reaction would likely be: “OK, interesting cost-cutting choice.” Instead, the hidden use fuels speculation about what else might be AI-assisted, undermining trust in the entire production.
What’s at Stake for Pearl Abyss
Crimson Desert’s launch momentum was exceptional—but it’s fragile. Community backlash over disclosure (rather than the AI usage itself) could dampen sales velocity going forward. Players forgive technical compromises; they resent feeling deceived.
For a studio already managing the legacies of Black Desert and Lost Ark, both of which faced monetization criticism, Crimson Desert needed goodwill. Using AI without disclosure burns that capital. The fix is straightforward: update the Steam store page, confirm which assets used AI, and move forward. Silence is the worst option.