Japanese developer Level-5 has responded to backlash aimed at its recent game trailers, clarifying that the graphical oddities spotted by fans were not caused by generative AI.
The studio issued a statement (via Automaton) addressing concerns raised by viewers of its recent “Level-5 VISION 2026 II: Dreams” presentation. It will reupload corrected versions of trailers shown in the presentation during Tokyo Game Show, which begins today on September 17th.
One of those trailers was for Yo-kai Watch 2: Haunted Domain, a remake of the 3DS title. In the game’s key art, fans spotted unnatural-looking power lines in the background, as well as vending machines and rain gutters that lacked detail — which were perceived as telltale signs of AI usage. Level-5 has now clarified, however, that all of these elements were hand-drawn by its in-house designers, and that any anomalies were down to intentional omissions or human errors.
Another point of contention among viewers was the fact that the face of the protagonist, Nathan, appeared differently between the VISION and Nintendo Direct presentations. Level-5 said that this was due to the Nintendo Direct deadline being earlier, which forced the studio to deliver an incomplete character model.
The company stated that no AI was used in the upcoming Professor Layton and the New World of Steam.
The statement ended with the promise that Level-5 will limit AI use to “efficiency-enhancing purposes only” and avoid using it directly in its promotional videos going forward.
Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino recently confirmed that the studio used generative AI for the video footage of the VISION event to make the presentation “more spectacular.” Hino apologized for any discomfort it may have caused, but insisted that all aspects of the games themselves were created entirely by hand.
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Written by Reece Heather
A veteran Zelda Universe editor and First-class journalism graduate, Reece emerged with a Nintendo 64 and a lifelong obsession after a narrow escape from Santa’s Naughty List in 1998. Outside of games, he’s reading Punisher comics, being bossed around by his cocker spaniel, and cornering innocent bystanders to rant about the importance of game preservation.
