You would think big studios might have got the message by now, but Blizzard Entertainment appears to have just been caught by the AI police AGAIN. And the case shows there's no better way to drive the conversation away from a product than the use of AI art.
What is Diablo Immortal X Hearthstone? Who cares? The only thing people are saying is that the promotional artwork is AI slop (see our guide to the best game development software for your own work).
If you're wondering, the Heroes of the Hearth is a limited-time Blizzard event intended to celebrate two of the game studio’s major franchises: Diablo Immortal and Hearthstone. Running from tomorrow (30 July) until 27 August, it allows Diablo Immortal players to collect themed cosmetics, pets and abilities and Hearthstone-themed cards.
But gamers are more interested in picking apart the promotional art. On X, users have noted strange artifacts in objects, from bread floating on the table, a mirrored card, candles with no flame and even a character whose ear had three conchas. No wonder no artist is credited.
Blizzard hasn't commented on the latest accusations, but fans are disappointed considering Blizzard's long tradition of using authentic artwork. Hearthstone is particularly known for its stylized, almost cartoonish fantasy art.
"Is this AI generated, FFS? One of the things I enjoy about Hearthstone is the proper art of cards, hero skins, card backs," one person wrote on X. "Using AI art to advertise their casino disguised as a game may not be a new low for Blizzard, but it's certainly disappointing," another person wrote.
The criticism comes shortly after Microsoft, which owns Blizzard, announced 9,000 job cuts. Players are inevitably worried that this is a new sign that AI is being use to compensate for the jobs lost in design and marketing, and some are suggesting the only way to make a difference is to ensure the company sees a downturn in sales.
For more AI news, see the latest features released in today's Photoshop update.
