Cygames, the Japanese powerhouse behind titles such as 'Uma Musume: Pretty Derby' and 'Granblue Fantasy', has issued a formal apology following a wave of criticism over their newly established AI subsidiary, ultimately vowing to keep generative AI out of their games.

On the 9th, Cygames announced the launch of Cygames AI Studio, a subsidiary focused on developing AI-based services and tools. The company initially framed this move as a way to leverage the immense creative potential of generative AI, which they claimed could transform accumulated data into a new engine for creation.

However, the announcement landed with a thud among the publisher's fanbase and the broader subculture gaming community. Given the deep-seated concerns regarding copyright and the unauthorised scraping of artists' work to train AI models, users quickly took to social media and community forums to voice their disdain.

In response to the backlash, Cygames published an apology on the 14th. The company stated, "We sincerely apologise for the distress caused by announcing the subsidiary without addressing the societal concerns surrounding generative AI. We hold the dignity, passion, and creative spirit of both our players and the artists who built this culture in the highest regard."

Furthermore, they explicitly confirmed that no content generated by AI would feature in their current or future titles. "The art in our current games is the product of our staff's technical skill and manual labour, with zero reliance on image-generating AI," the company stated, adding, "We have no intention of incorporating such AI-generated materials into our future content."

Despite the apology, it is clear that the decision to establish the subsidiary stands. Their recruitment page is still active, seeking talent for four specific roles at Cygames AI Studio, including 'AI Specialist (Image Generation)', 'Reinforcement Learning Engineer (Game Automation & Balance Optimisation)', and 'Language Model Engineer'.