Neverness to Everness Developer Admits to Limited AI Use After Player Backlash
- Sagar Mankar
- 7 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Hotta Studio has confirmed that AI tools were used in some assets of their gacha title Neverness to Everness, following growing concern from players and content creators online.
The game launched on April 29 with significant momentum, drawing over 90 million pre-registrations worldwide. However, the excitement did not last long before players on social media began spotting signs of AI-generated content within the game. The backlash grew quickly, pulling in popular streamers, voice actors, and the wider gaming community into the debate.
Responding through the official NTE_Global account on X, Hotta Studio addressed the situation directly. The studio stated that "Neverness to Everness is built on human creativity," and that "the characters, stories, and world you experience are the work of artists, writers, and designers." At the same time, they admitted that AI-assisted tools "were only used on a small number of background and environmental assets, not on the characters or stories that define this game." Assets tied to "Clear Skies in Summer" and "Pink Paws Heist" are already being reviewed and reworked, with the studio encouraging player feedback.
The problem, though, was not just the AI use itself. It was the denial that came before it. VTuber and sponsored streamer Ironmouse revealed that she had been given assurances before her stream that the game was AI-free. "They had told my people that there was literally no AI in it," she explained. "They told my sponsor people, they said, 'No, we do not have AI in anything. There is no AI anywhere.' and it's just like, why are you f***ing lying, bro?" Following this, Ironmouse dropped her sponsorship and stopped streaming the game entirely.
Another VTuber, Shylily, also found herself in an awkward spot. She came across the allegations mid-stream and decided to end the broadcast early rather than continue promoting something she had not fully looked into. "I'm a VTuber, I am very close with artists," she said. "I think the problem that people don't realize is imagine if you work on something, you create a thing, hard work and effort, and then someone comes along and they grab thousands of whatever people make so they can sell that stuff for profit without your permission at all. I don't see how that's okay."
The concerns players raised were specific and detailed. Some pointed to visible artifacting in the game, where distortions in a character's outfit appeared when partially blocked from view.
Others flagged what looked like a billboard featuring scenes from the anime Weathering With You, suspected to have been processed through a generative AI tool.
There were also reports of an 18-minute anime short film playing in an in-game theater that players believe was AI-generated.
The situation also drew in talent who worked on the game professionally. English voice actress Meggie-Elise released a public statement after learning about the AI usage. "I recently found out that a game I worked on has been using AI and has been dishonest about it. I want to be clear that I do not support generative AI in any creative field, including voiceover, art, writing, or music," she said. She also added that if the issue is not addressed and removed, she would not be continuing work with the team.
Neverness to Everness is not an isolated case. Games like the extraction shooter Arc Raiders have also faced criticism over AI use, specifically regarding character voices. The pattern is becoming hard to ignore across the industry.
Hotta Studio's response was measured and relatively quick, but for many in the community, the damage had already been done.
Thanks Gamespot