The Alters Game Faces Backlash Over Undisclosed AI Use

The use of artificial intelligence in game development has become a major point of contention. As more studios adopt AI tools, platforms like Steam have responded by implementing new rules that require developers to be transparent about their use of AI-generated content. This policy is at the heart of a recent controversy surrounding 11-bit Studios and their hit indie game, The Alters.

Despite the game's critical acclaim, the studio is now facing criticism for allegedly failing to disclose its use of generative AI, a move that directly contravenes Steam's guidelines and has ignited a firestorm within the gaming community.

The Alters Under Fire For Undisclosed AI

Evidence of AI use in The Alters first surfaced on social media, where players began sharing screenshots of what appear to be unedited outputs from AI tools left in the game. One of the most glaring examples, captured by a user on Bluesky, shows in-game text that includes a leftover ChatGPT-style prompt before the intended scientific jargon appears.

The community quickly found more evidence. As highlighted by user pixeldie, a text crawl clearly shows the remnants of an AI prompt.

The issue wasn't limited to English-language text. Another player using Brazilian Portuguese subtitles reported that the text would often 'go crazy'. A supporting screenshot revealed a subtitle that read, "Sure! The text translated to Brazilian Portuguese is: Every conversation two people can have, right? So we-", a clear sign of an unedited AI translation.

The backlash has been significant enough to spawn a dedicated thread on the official Steam page titled, "The game is using AI-generated content without a proper Steam Page disclaimer!" The post expresses frustration, stating, "This is absolutely unacceptable. 11 bit studios has been caught using AI in The Alters without ANY disclaimer on the Steam page."

A Translator Confirms the Allegations

While 11-bit Studios has yet to issue an official statement, a translator who worked on the game has shed more light on the situation. Handong Ryu, who was responsible for the majority of the Korean translation for The Alters, took to LinkedIn to discuss the issue. In a post cited by Eurogamer, Ryu confirmed that similar problems exist in the Korean version.

"While no AI prompt has been exposed, I can confirm that the same section of the Korean localization shows clear signs of having been run through an LLM without proper editing," Ryu stated. He added that the resulting backlash from the Korean gaming community was "really disheartening to witness," particularly as the criticism was aimed at a part of the project he had no control over.

The Future for The Alters

Before this controversy, The Alters was celebrated as one of the year's biggest indie surprises, earning a "Mighty" rating on Open Critic with an average score of 86. It remains to be seen how this revelation will impact the game's sales and reputation in the long run. For many players, the issue is not the use of AI itself, but the lack of transparency from the developer.

As the industry grapples with layoffs and rising development costs, the use of AI will continue to be a sensitive topic. This incident with The Alters serves as a stark reminder of the importance of clear communication and adherence to platform policies in an increasingly complex development landscape.