Category: Video Games

Wizards of the Coast has released a new FAQ addressing the use of generative AI (GenAI)in Dungeons & Dragons and admitting it “made mistakes” in its lack of transparency regarding this use in its art.

The official D&D Beyond X/Twitter account made a post with a link to a new FAQ that aimed to “address how [Wizards of the Coast] assess and respond to generative AI concerns” regarding art commissions for both Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.

The Wizards team recognizes that transparency is critical in the face of evolving issues that affect the games we make, the people who create them and the community that plays them.

To meet that goal, we want to share with you our FAQ on Wizards and AI: https://t.co/F5tXlzk7Hf pic.twitter.com/4nXthONdgi

— D&D Beyond (@DnDBeyond) May 3, 2024

“Recently, we’ve had a few occasions where art used in marketing and game pieces has been publicly scrutinized, including for the possible inclusion of generative AI,” the opening paragraph of the FAQ reads. ” During this time, we’ve made mistakes while at the same time have also seen artists and their work misidentified as problematic in a variety of ways.”

The FAQ notes that Wizards of the Coast requires artists, writers, and other creative professionals who contribute to either or both games to “refrain” from using GenAI tools when crafting products. To combat those that may be using GenAI, Wizards of the Coast disclosed that it was “regularly evaluating resources” that could be used to detect when someone used generative AI.

The company also elaborated on why it may not respond to fans’ claims that GenAI may have been used in its artwork. One reason is that its internal investigation found the results inconclusive or that it made an internal decision not to work with an artist who used GenAI going forward but not publicly commenting to protect “the privacy of one or more individuals.”

This is not the first time Wizards of the Coast has been at the center of controversy for its use of Generative AI for artistic purposes. Last December, the company issued a statement reaffirming its anti-AI art stance after fans speculated that some of the art in the upcoming 2024 Player’s Handbook for Magic: The Gathering was because a dwarf was missing one of the arms, which is why the company used the technology in some capacity. A few weeks after the statement, the company disclosed that it used “AI components” in Magic The Gathering’s marketing artwork.

GenAI has become a hot topic in various industries in the last year. While some see the benefits of GenAI and artificial intelligence, others oppose the use of AI, especially in creative professions, as some may use it to displace people from jobs or potential work.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Yesterday, Viz Media announced the English release of a Magic the Gathering manga series called “Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated.” The manga’s physical release, due later this fall, will also come with an exclusive Magic card.

Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated, written by Katsura Ise and drawn by Takuma Yakota, is an ongoing manga series that was first published in 2018, according to MyAnimeList. The series, which takes place in 1998, follows a junior high school student named Hajime Kanou who goofs off with his friends by playing Magic: The Gathering. This garners negative attention from the school’s top student and Hajime’s academic rival, Emi Sawatari, who scolds him for bringing Magic to school.

Announcement: Attention Magic: The Gathering fans! The original Japanese manga, “Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated. A Magic: The Gathering Manga,” with story by Katsura Ise, and art by Takuma Yakota, releases Fall 2024. Includes an exclusive card! pic.twitter.com/IVpEbr12ID

— VIZ (@VIZMedia) May 3, 2024

Their relationship takes a turn when Hajime discovers Emi is the best Magic player at their local card shop, thus propelling their budding relationship and potential romance over their shared love of the game. If you’re a fan of YuGiOh! — which coincidentally also takes place around the same year — Emi and Hajime’s relationship reads as the polar opposite of Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba. That is unless you read their relationship as a slow-burn romance, too.

Viz’s English licensing of Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated comes off the heels of Magic: The Gathering taking a victory lap with the financial success of its Fallout crossover decks. During a Q1 2024 earnings call, Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks taunted the Fallout crossover as its “best-performing Commander set ever.” Seeing as how the Fallout Magic collab came after the craze of its Lord of the Rings collab, it’s safe to say Magic players are eating well.

Now, Magic fans can look forward to upcoming video game collaborations with Final Fantasy and Marvel, as well as Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated and its yet-to-be-revealed Magic card to sweeten the deal.

Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.

Arrowhead CEO Johaan Pilstedt has released a statement apologizing to disgruntled Helldivers 2 fans in the wake of Sony forcing Steam players to link their accounts to a PlayStation Network Account in order to continue playing the wildly popular third-person shooter.

Earlier today, Sony released a statement announcing that new Helldivers 2 PC players will be asked to link their Steam accounts to a PlayStation Network account on May 6 in order to continue playing the game. This, in turn, sparked outrage from players on social media, with fans threatening to quit the game cold turkey over the new mandate, demand refunds, and flood Helldivers 2 with negative review scores.

Helldivers 2 received over 14,000 negative reviews today due to an update that will require PSN accounts next week.

In case you missed it, SteamDB now has daily reviews on the charts page. pic.twitter.com/qRzeZjcLWy

— SteamDB (@SteamDB) May 3, 2024

According to Helldivers 2’s Steam customer review tab, the game has received thousands of 0negative reviews in response to Sony’s announcement, dropping its “mostly positive” review score to “mixed.” Helldivers 2’s subsequent review bombing led Pilstedt to apologize on his personal X/Twitter account.

“Ouch, right in the review score. Well, I guess it’s warranted,” Pilestedt wrote. “Sorry everyone for how this all transpired. I hope we will make it up and regain the trust by providing a continued great game experience. I just want to make great games!”

Ouch, right in the review score 😢🤕

Well, I guess it’s warranted. Sorry everyone for how this all transpired. I hope we will make it up and regain the trust by providing a continued great game experience.

I just want to make great games! pic.twitter.com/EPO7apDUlc

— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) May 3, 2024

Pilestedt’s apology follows a previous tweet in which the Helldivers 2 boss directed disgruntled players to PlayStation Support if they had any questions about account linking rather than reaching out to Arrowhead.

In its statement, Sony rationalized its new Helldivers 2 account linking requirement as a safety and security concern, saying, “Account linking plays a critical role in protecting our players and upholding the values of safety and security provided on PlayStation and PlayStation Studios games.”

According to Sony, “technical issues” were to blame for Helldivers 2’s account linking being temporarily optional on launch. Come June 4, all current Helldivers 2 players must link their accounts in order to continue playing the game.

Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.

Seal: What the Fun is out now in Early Access on PC via Steam, welcoming players from around the world to compete and have fun in its chaotic, unpredictable, and hijinks-packed party royale world. This will be one party for the ages, and we’re here to help break down everything you need to know about the brand-new game you won’t be able to put down.

Seal: What the Fun is all about getting straight to the mayhem and not overstaying its welcome. Each match starts with about 20 players and lasts only 10 minutes with three rounds of rotating party games. These games range from shooting sports to racing, climbing, surviving, and puzzle matching and the game supports solo and teamplay so you can get the exact party vibe that you want.

Some of that fun includes a life-size Air Hockey match that features a massive puck and players score by pushing it into their opponent’s goal, a race with obstacles that will undoubtedly create hilarious moments, a game where you use ball guns to shoot your opponents off a circular platform, and so much more.

The fun of these rounds will be figuring out the perfect strategy to survive to the end as you never know what chaotic energy each player will bring to the battle. Will you simply choose to be the fastest player on the board and find the quickest route to victory? Or will you play the villain and laugh your way to a win while knocking others to their doom? The choice is yours!

All these games will take place in creative and inviting stages that are just as fun to look at as they are to play in. From a Playroom that shrinks you down to toy-size and has you competing surrounded by colorful cubes, cars, planes, and more, to a stage based on the iconic Waterbomb Festival that’s filled with water attractions, water guns, and a concert stage, there’s a lot to look forward to.

Speaking of looking forward to things, Seal: What the Fun is also putting a huge focus on player customization and the chance to unlock charming and stylish costumes, items, emotes, and more to really make your character yours.

As of its launch, Seal: What the Fun lets players choose between six characters – Rascal Rabbit, Giant the Bear, Blanco the Dancing Cactus, Joe the Little Boxer, Pop the Magic-Trained Sheep, and Snowball the Tall and Quirky Carrot-Nosed Snowman. These characters also have nearly endless customization that each match is filled with unique and awesome contestants who really represent the players behind them.

In the middle of matches, you’ll get even more opportunities to let your personality shine with adorable and hilarious emoticons, emo-effects, and more.

Seal: What the Fun is available now in Early Access on Steam via PC for $14.99, a 25% discount from the standard price of $19.99!

Right now developer PlayWith is hosting an exclusive Early Access Event titled ‘WIN 100 CONSOLES!’ to give you the chance to take home a real Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, Steam Deck, or Nintendo Switch. All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is get the game on Steam, complete the five weekly challenges, and submit a screenshot of your accomplishments through the event page!

Whether you choose to jump into the magic of Seal: What the Fun now or later, everyone is encouraged to join the game’s official Discord to stay up-to-date on all the updates and news that are released during the Early Access period. Discord will also be the place to talk directly with the devs and leave your feedback so the game can truly become the best party game it can be.

Seal: What the Fun wants to be a game built with the help of players and will continue to evolve and improve throughout Early Access and beyond. From new playable characters, costumes, and maps to smooth performance and new languages and localized content to cater to users’ different interests, there is so much to be excited about this party that is just beginning.