The publisher behind strategy games Endless Legend 2, Terra Invicta, and Against the Storm has officially banned the use of AI-generated assets in all its products. Hooded Horse has had a significant presence in the strategy game space over the last few years, thanks to hits like Manor Lords. Now, when many publishers and developers are evaluating (or touting) their relationship to generative AI, Hooded Horse is rebuking its use for art generation.
Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender discussed the ban in an interview with Kotaku, emphasizing that restrictions on AI art are part of every contract Hooded Horse signs. He said, “It is now written into our contracts if we’re publishing the game, ‘no fucking AI assets.'” He also expressed personal exasperation with how Gen-AI has made his job harder. He said, “If I sound frustrated, it’s because, like, honestly, all this thing has done is made our lives more difficult.”
This frustration comes from the fact that Gen-AI usage can be difficult to catch. Even if the intention is to use a generated asset only as a placeholder, those assets can easily make their way to the final product. “We’ve gotten to the point where we also talk to developers and we recommend they don’t use any gen AI anywhere in the process,” Bender elaborated.
Source: Manor Lords Publisher Has Banned AI Assets In Its Games, Called Them “Cancerous”
