The Blatant and Shameless Usage of AI in IDV: A Quick Study
A gamesradar article refuting an earlier article by Eurogames where an insider claimed NetEase had stopped AI development in their games.
With the recent COA IX video sparking a community-wide discussion on NetEase’s usage of AI in Identity V in-game and out of game, it is important to be informed of what exactly is going on with this situation. I've already made a couple posts about this yesterday but this one is meant to be more informative and provide a general summary of the situation.
Read time: approximately 8 minutes.
(I also whipped up a YouTube video for those that want to listen rather than read all this. See below.)
YouTube Video
Approxiametely 14 and a half minutes. Don't expect stellar editing and expect a stuttering voice.
Background
On the night of April 8th, the official English IDV Twitter account and YouTube account along with the Official Japanese YouTube account posted the official cinematic for the COA IX Global Finals which featured the usage of AI. One particular shot of Joseph caught the attention of the community as looking AI generated. This along with other previous cases where the developers for the game have been accused of AI led to the straw breaking the camel’s back. A wave of players expressing their discontent and concerns over the AI situation is currently taking social media by storm.
The shot that broke the camel's back.
The Response and Backlash
Across the likes of Twitter, Reddit, and even in-game global chat, the blatant and rather shameless usage of AI in IDV has become the center of conversation in these spaces. Most are expressing their anger and worries over the game’s future. On Twitter, IDV users are urging others to email NetEase over their concerns and utilize the recent event survey to voice their complaints. Many users are also leaving comments under the official IDV English and Japanese Twitter accounts expressing their disappointment over the usage of AI.
Major content creators for IDV are also expressing their distaste and disappointment.
Zeez, a popular IDV content creator on YouTube expresses his disappointment. He goes on to say he'll likely make changes to how he plays the game and how he makes content.
And while the overwhelming majority of IDV players who are vocalizing their concerns are English speakers, there are some Japanese, Korean, Thai on Twitter and Chinese players on XiaoHongshu also expressing their displeasure.
Posts on the IDV subreddit and Twitter are being made lamenting over how the design process and older artworks were made with love and human ingenuity in comparison to the much plainer design sheets and simpler design process that appears to be plaguing the game recently.
Fool's Gold's" Recent Disassociation cosmetic vs. Fallen Star:
These two fits are only about 6 months apart and the more detailed and creative background and separate design notes for Fallen Star stand in stark contrast to Disassociation with the plain background. Even more disappointing when that the latter is THE art cosmetic.
Overall the response has been overwhelmingly negative and rightfully so, but the usage of AI by NetEase is nothing new.
NetEase and their Love of AI
The header of an article from IXBT Games.
NetEase have never been shy to express their liking in using AI for their video games.
In a news release published back in February of this year, NetEase announced the financial results of their fourth quarter and fiscal year for 2025. Their net revenue was an impressive RMB27.5 billion (or $233.7 million in US dollars) which was an increase of 3% compared with the same quarter of 2024.
In Identity V’s case, according to Appmagic, an online toolkit used for mobile app market research, the monthly revenue the game brings is about $10,000,000 US dollars. While that sounds grand, it clearly does not stop them in using part of that budget for AI.
In the financial news report, under the heading “Fourth Quarter 2025 and Recent Operational Highlights,” the very first bullet point states:
After years of concentrated, purposeful effort, achieved comprehensive integration of AI across the full game development and gameplay innovation cycle – from art and design to programming, animation and quality assurance – strengthening high volume, scalable production and enabling the smooth rollout of dynamic, AI-native gameplay features in multiple flagship titles.
And in addition, at the end of that segment, Mr. William Ding, CEO and Director of NetEase is quoted as saying:
"AI has become a foundational competency for our development and operations. We have been systematically applying AI throughout game development and gameplay, where it is already driving meaningful improvement in production efficiency and unlocking new interactive experiences for our players that were previously out of reach.
"Looking ahead, we remain focused on delivering exceptional experiences across the NetEase family of businesses. By fostering a creative talent ecosystem, deepening collaboration with partners worldwide and thoughtfully advancing our AI-application capabilities, we aim to further extend the longevity of our franchises while continuing to deliver innovative experiences to create even greater value for our global players and shareholders alike."
So NetEase is by no means shy about showcasing their usage of AI. In fact, they appear rather proud of it and continuously seek new ways in implementing them in their games.
Paradoxically, and almost ignorantly, while they acknowledge their global playerbase by aiming to deliver "innovative experiences," evidentially they did not stop to think that global players are deeply averse to seeing AI invade creative spaces as many cannot see AI and creative innovation sharing the same space.
Just last month, at GDC Festival of Gaming, a gathering of the B2B games industry, NetEase had two sessions for themselves that discussed how they successfully implemented AI in their game development production and TikTok creation.
The panel sessions in question.
Unlike other companies who steer very well clear of associating themselves with AI, and if they do use it, they adamantly refuse to use it for the creative process (letting actual humans do that part), NetEase is the exact opposite. This is perhaps due to the more open acceptance of using AI in places like China and Japan as opposed to the United States, Canada, or anywhere considered “the West.”
Yet, NetEase has become a more global company thanks to the likes of Identity V and its most recent massive success, Marvel Rivals. In order, to not draw away the international player base, it is a must that they have to either readjust their strategies or be more transparent about their specific practices in their games to their Western players.
So What’s Next? What Can We Do?
Truly Edgar is the embodiment of us all right now.
Taking a moment to become a bit more personal here, but truly, what’s next? I personally feel slightly sick at seeing my faves be subjected to becoming essentially AI slop in ironically a story-line based on how a computer-created Deity, an AI, has generated this false reality that our dear survivors work so hard to unveil the truth to the masses.
Whoever came up with the storyline for COA IX was given the gift of Apollo because this is coming to a head now in reality or perhaps it's to serve as warning. And while it is awful to experience this alongside my one year anniversary of playing the game, I feel there is some poetic justice to be had here as life is imitating art.
Just like the ones in COA IX who painstakingly planned and carried out a daring attempt to unmask the truths of an AI generated society and power, we too can try do so as well. Many have already emailed NetEase to express their feelings towards the AI usage and I encourage others to do the same. I understand emotions might be on a high, but I do also insist on polite but firm language in that case when writing out your email to them. We must put our best foot forward and show we must be taken seriously.
I’ll leave the email addresses you can use here:
[email protected] (Global English)
[email protected] (General Support)
Contact Form on their website:
NetEase Games, the online games division of NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES and HKEX: 9999), is a leading global developer and publisher of vide
In addition, you can also try your hand at emailing Joker Studio. Their email is: [email protected]. It appears as if Joker Studio is largely forgotten in these conversations but they are the ones who started IDV in the first place, I believe, and have a hand on the more creative aspects of the game. Though I also do believe NetEase still has more of a say in what is actually finally implemented in the game.
Along with that, you can also utilize the recent survey to put in your concerns.
Another way you can support the fight against AI in IDV is by encouraging and supporting the artists behind the great pieces of art we’ve gotten over the years. I recently found a post on who the artist was behind the Valentine’s Day and White Day art.
kokoronokabe on Xiaohongshu.
There's also the artist for Composer's "Phantom Sail" which is what I actually used my free S-tier card on.
On Weibo here.
The 7th anniversary countdown artwork and artwork of Meteorologist (Wendy) drawn by 不贰RAY.
Admittedly, I have no idea if commenting under Twitter posts complaining about the AI usage in the game will do anything especially since I have long since seen players do that for Patricia’s Valentine’s Day skin and ping issues to no avail.
If only the IDV community moved in the way the Jojo community did when it came to Netflix’s terrible decision to broadcast only one episode of the long-awaited Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run part which actually resulted in Netflix folding to reveal they will produce weekly episodes in the fall of this year, then MAYBE (?) IDV could stand a chance.
For a good couple of weeks, this is what Netflix got under about every tweet they made. Jojo fans are on a whole other level.
Granted, it may have originally been a part of their plan to release it that way but transparency from the start would've avoided this whole mess.
Still, there does seem to be progress happening as I’ve seen on Twitter some responses by those who can pass along feedback directly to NetEase so fingers crossed.
Lastly, as someone who writes, I would love to also bring this to the attention of even news outlets, specifically those in gaming, of course. I don’t have much confidence I could pitch such a piece and in a timely manner. IDV is also strangely not a game many game sites and journalists write about but I have read some articles here and there on NetEase themselves and Marvel Rivals, perhaps their most popular game at the moment.
Regardless, I hope this partially helped inform those who needed/wanted it and calling to action those who also want to try and save this game. As I’ve said before, I basically just got here and I don’t want to leave. I want to continue to enjoy the story and the artwork and the characters and even stupidly throw my money at this game for pretty pixels. But a change needs to be made.
As for those who are in a similar boat as me, your feelings are very valid. I also understand those who want to step back from the game for a bit or outright drop it. You do what makes you the most comfortable as it is your life and you can do with it as you please.
For those who want to stick around, that’s great! And I hope we can see things improve before too long. Continue to do what you can to support the anti-AI movement in IDV and perhaps we’ll see AI knocked out of IDV soon enough. One can only hope and pray.
