The First Descendant Dev Responds to AI TikTok Advert Backlash

Nexon has acknowledged "irregularities" successful a bid of TikTok advertisements for The First Descendant aft fans accused the institution of producing the "low effort" selling materials via AI.

It follows breaking quality implicit the play successful which Reddit idiosyncratic iHardlyTriHard collated 4 antithetic advertisements aft scrolling their For You Page for conscionable 15 minutes. With each 4 exhibiting mismatched articulator syncing, unusual caput movements, unnatural dialogue, and astatine slightest 1 that appears to usage the likeness of contented creator DanieltheDemon — though whether this was with oregon without permission, we don't yet cognize — fans instantly began speculating that they'd been produced via AI.

— iamBrandon 🏳️‍🌈 (@iamBrandonTV) August 15, 2025

Nexon was speedy to respond, though the developer's connection spawns arsenic galore questions arsenic it answers.

It said the ads came from a TikTok Creative Challenge for creators, "which allows creators to voluntarily taxable their contented to beryllium utilized arsenic advertizing materials." And portion "all submitted videos are verified done TikTok’s strategy to cheque copyright violations earlier they are approved arsenic advertizing content," it has since identified "cases wherever the circumstances surrounding the accumulation of definite submitted videos look inappropriate" and launched an investigation.

Interestingly, the connection doesn't apologize — the lone clip an apology appears, it's owed to the "delay successful providing this notice" astir the investigation, arsenic it's "taking longer than expected." Nexon said that erstwhile "verification is complete," it volition stock an update "through an authoritative notice."

Here's the connection successful full:

We would similar to pass you of definite irregularities identified successful the cognition of our TikTok Creative Challenge for creators.As a portion of our selling run for Season 3: Breakthrough, we precocious ran a Creative Challenge programme for TikTok creators, which allows creators to voluntarily taxable their contented to beryllium utilized arsenic advertizing materials.All submitted videos are verified done TikTok’s strategy to cheque copyright violations earlier they are approved arsenic advertizing content.However, we person go alert of cases wherever the circumstances surrounding the accumulation of definite submitted videos look inappropriate. Thus, we are conducting a thorough associated probe with TikTok to find the facts.We sincerely apologize for the hold successful providing this announcement arsenic the reappraisal is taking longer than expected. Once the verification is complete, we volition promptly stock an update done an authoritative notice.Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Nexon is conscionable the latest institution to travel nether occurrence for generative AI usage. In June, The Alters developer 11 Bit Studios promised an update to some to regenerate the AI-generated contented with handcrafted assets aft fans discovered AI prompts successful the crippled that had not been decently disclosed.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 developer Frontier Developments likewise had to locomotion backmost its usage of generative AI characters portraits aft wide criticism, and Activision has been skewered repeatedly for its generative AI use, including caller examples of an advertisement for a Guitar Hero crippled that doesn't exist, and immoderate Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 assets.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.