The Alters studio responds to generative AI criticism saying use was “temporary” or “very limited”
11 Bit Studios has responded to recent criticism of its sci-fi survival game The Alters, insisting controversial AI-generated elements found in-game were either “temporary” assets “never intended to be part of the final release” or used in a “very limited manner.”
11 Bit, which has also developed the acclaimed Frostpunk and This War of Mine, found itself the focus of controversy over the weekend after evidence of AI-generated assets were discovered in The Alters – despite the studio failing to disclosure their use on Steam, as mandated by Valve.
One image widely circulated on social media showed an in-game background display featuring a text-based “Captain’s Log” conspicuously incorporating the giveaway generative AI phrase, “Sure, here’s a revised version focusing purely on scientific and astronomical data”. But it was the instances of shoddy AI-generated localisation – used alongside professionally translated text – that drew the most criticism. One Portuguese subtitle translation, for instance, began, “Sure! Here is the translated text into Brazilian Portuguese”.
The discoveries weren’t well-received, particularly given 11 Bit Studios’ failure to disclose its generative AI usage on Steam, but the developer has now responded, insisting some of the offending elements were used in error, while other aspects were down to misjudgement. “We’ve seen a wide range of accusations regarding the use of AI-generated content in The Alters,” it began in a lengthy statement shared on social media, “and we feel it’s important to clarify our approach and give you more context.”
“AI-generated assets were used strictly as temporary [work-in progress elements] during the development process and in a very limited manner,” it continued. “Our team has always prioritised meaningful, handcrafted storytelling as one of the foundations of our game.”
We’ve seen a wide range of accusations regarding the use of AI-generated content in The Alters, and we feel it’s important to clarify our approach and give you more context.
[image or embed]— 11 bit studios | WISHLIST DEATH HOWL (@11bitstudios.bsky.social) June 30, 2025 at 4:31 PM
“During production, an AI-generated text for a graphic asset, which was meant as a piece of background texture, was used by one of our graphical designers as a placeholder. This was never intended to be part of the final release. Unfortunately, due to an internal oversight, this single placeholder text was mistakenly left in the game. We have since conducted a thorough
review and confirmed that this was an isolated case, and the asset in question is being updated.” The studio also shared a screenshot of the controversial assets – including the Captain’s Log display – as they appear in-game, adding, “While we do not want to downplay the situation, we also want to clearly show its limited impact on your gaming experience”.
As for those controversial translations, 11 Bit suggested these were limited to a “few licensed movies that the alters can watch in the social area of the base.” It says these “externally produced” assets were made without the team being “involved in the creative process”, and were “added at the final stage of development”. As such, “last-minute” translations were required, said to account for “just 0.3 percent” of in-game text. “Due to extreme time constraints,” 11 Bit continued, “we chose not to involve our translation partners and had these videos localised using AI to have them ready on launch.”
“It was always our intention to involve our trusted translation agencies after release as part of our localisation hotfix,” the studio continued, “to ensure those texts would be handled with the same care and quality as the rest of the game. That process is now underway, and updated translations are being implemented… The alternative was to release those specific dialogues in English only, which we believed would be a worse experience for non-English-speakers. In hindsight, we acknowledge this was the wrong call. Even more so, no matter what we decided, we should have simply let you know.”
11 Bit didn’t address why it had chosen not to disclose the use of AI-generated content on Steam, despite Valve’s mandatory requirements, nor has it added the disclosure since being called out. “As AI tools evolve,” it concluded, “they present new challenges and opportunities in game development. We’re actively adapting our internal processes to meet this reality. But above all, we remain committed to transparency in how we make our games. We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we work towards that goal.”
11 Bit isn’t the only studio to have faced criticism for its generative AI usage, of course. Last week, Jurassic World Evolution 3 studio Frontier Developments announced it would be removing the game’s AI generated scientist avatar art in response to “some initial feedback”, while Activision and Microsoft have been criticised for producing AI-generated Call of Duty promotional art and an AI-generated playable demo “inspired” by Quake 2 respectively. As Eurogamer’s Ed Nightingale reported earlier this year, however, for all the controversy surrounding AI, it’s clear the technology is changing game development forever.
