As is becoming increasingly common, upcoming Tomb Raider remake Legacy of Atlantis has used AI in the game's development

UPDATE 5.31pm: Crystal Dynamics has provided Eurogamer with a comment on its AI use in Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. While the developer did not share specifics on what it used the technology for, a Crystal Dynamics representative told Eurogamer:

"At Crystal Dynamics, we leverage AI tools to help our teams iterate on ideas faster and more efficiently, while ensuring that all finished content in the final product is human-crafted. Our goal is to empower the creativity and flexibility of our developers to deliver the highest-quality experiences for players everywhere."

The original story continues below.

ORIGINAL 12.15pm: Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis has an AI Generated Content Disclosure attached to it.

During last night's PlayStation State of Play, developers Flying Wild Hog and Crystal Dynamics shared a new trailer for Legacy of Atlantis, which is a remake of the original Tomb Raider. The game will see Lara hopping from country to country in search of the Scion of Atlantis, encountering many adversaries and puzzles on her way.

Since this trailer's release, an AI disclaimer on the game's Steam page has appeared, which reads: "AI-assisted tools were used during development to support some early exploration and temporary development content. Any AI-assisted assets were either replaced or refined by humans in order to maintain the creative and artistic vision of the development team."

Disclosures such as this are becoming increasingly common on video game sales pages, with the technology becoming more a part of development than ever before. A recent example includes Crimson Desert, a game whose own disclosure stated "generative AI technology is used in a supplementary capacity during the creation of some 2D prop assets".

While developer Pearl Abyss stressed assets created with AI during development would be replaced in the final game, some AI generated artwork still managed to slip through to the disappointment of the Crimson Desert community. Hopefully the same fate will not befall Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.

There is currently a debate as to whether or not studios should disclose when AI has been used during the development of a game. In November of last year, Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney said it made "no sense" for developers to disclose AI use any more, and we may as well ask them what kind of shampoo they use. "The AI tag is relevant to art exhibits for authorship disclosure, and to digital content licensing marketplaces where buyers need to understand the rights situation," Sweeney said. "It makes no sense for game stores, where AI will be involved in nearly all future production."

Others are less convinced, and disagree that AI will become so commonplace that disclosing its use will become a moot point. Meanwhile, the likes of Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, the game director of The Witcher 3 and co-director of Cyberpunk 2077, believes games made with AI will have no soul, but also that there can be good uses of AI during development. Aloy actress Ashly Burch similarly appreciates AI may have its uses, but it should never replace human creativity.

As for Tomb Raider, while once slated for release in 2026, Legacy of Atlantis will now arrive next year, on 12th February. It will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch 2. Eurogamer has asked for clarification on how Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog have used AI technology to help create the game, and will update you when we know more.