Fortnite has quietly changed a chunk of in-game art work after followers noticed its authentic model contained a Google Gemini AI watermark.
Epic Video games added the music observe “Meow” by Ironmouse, Sleeping Forest & HalaCG to Fortnite final month, with the telltale Gemini watermark within the observe art work’s backside proper nook. This lay largely unnoticed till final weekend, when its wider discovery prompted one thing of a minor kerfuffle on social media and Reddit.
As of this morning, nevertheless, this art work has been changed with an alternate model (with no Gemini watermark). However after nearer inspection, it is price declaring that the Gemini utilization was current within the observe checklist’s authentic artwork that Epic Video games merely integrated in-game. Go test the observe on Spotify, and the Gemini mark is there, too. In different phrases, the Gemini utilization right here is the fault of whoever made the observe artwork initially — not Epic Video games.
So, why the switcheroo? AI-generated art work in Fortnite is a contentious topic for followers who’ve pointed to previous dubious examples such as an in-game poster featuring a nine-toed character in a hammock to recommend that Epic Video games was resorting to poor-quality AI work somewhat than utilizing human designers. A newer, official developer video then pulled again the curtain on Epic Video games’ AI use, showcasing how the company experiments with AI in the conceptual phase when creating characters and in-game locations.
All of that stated, Epic Video games has at all times shied away from strictly confirming any specific in-game artwork is AI generated, and has maintained a minimum of a veneer of high quality over the evergreen battle royale it regularly toils to maintain standard. Thus far, there hasn’t been something fairly as egregious as Call of Duty’s embarrassing and grotesque six-fingered Santa.
The truth that Epic Video games has made the change right here is, if something, a constructive signal that it doesn’t need to overtly present art work that includes apparent AI components, corresponding to that Gemini watermark, in Fortnite.
In the meantime, over the weekend, Disney stated that its rumored desire to buy Epic Games was not something it was planning to act on — a minimum of proper now.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s Information Editor. You possibly can attain Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or discover him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social