Capcom Takes a Stand Against AI-Generated Game Content, but It's Still Using AI in Development

Capcom says it will not use AI to generate in-game content, but it does “plan to actively utilize” it elsewhere in development. Generative AI has become an unavoidable part of the conversation in the gaming industry, with some developers taking a strong stance against the technology and others expressing optimism about what it can do. Now Capcom has clarified its approach as being somewhere in the middle.

While there were some hiccups in 2025, things have been looking up for Capcom lately. The much-anticipated Resident Evil Requiem sold 6 million copies in just 17 days, cementing it as the fastest-selling title in the horror franchise to date. There’s also growing hype behind the upcoming Pragmata, and Monster Hunter Stories 3 has received positive reviews. This success comes as a welcome relief after Monster Hunter Wilds sales tapered off and failed to meet the company’s expectations, so Capcom is now expressing optimism about its future, including an enthusiastic but restrained view on AI’s role in development.

Capcom is “Exploring Ways” to Use AI in Development, but Not for In-Game Content

Capcom addressed the ever-controversial topic of generative AI in a recent investor Q&A, saying it “will not implement the materials generated by our AI into game content,” but that it is looking for other ways to use it. More specifically, the company pointed to graphics, sound, and programming as areas where AI could improve efficiency, though it didn’t offer details beyond that. These comments come amid a bit of a stir in the gaming community after Crimson Desert developer Pearl Abyss apologized for AI-generated assets fans discovered in the game. According to Pearl Abyss, these elements were supposed to be placeholders but were never switched out, a situation that multiple studios have found themselves in before. It’s unclear if Capcom’s stance against AI-generated content is an effort to avoid similar controversies, but it could help regardless.

This is not the first time the company has issued a statement on its AI efforts. Back in Summer 2025, technical director Kazuki Abe said Capcom was experimenting with generative AI, primarily as a way to generate ideas for in-game items and environments before artists take over and take these suggestions across the finish line. The newer statements make it sound like the Resident Evil developer wants to ramp up its AI usage beyond this, even if it’s drawing the line at full content generation. References to graphics and sound could mean Capcom will deploy AI as an upscaling or remastering tool, but the company’s vagueness leaves the door open to many possibilities.

Image via Capcom

Overall, it seems like Capcom is joining the ranks of developers who have expressed optimism about AI’s efficiency benefits but still place their own guardrails to protect human artistry. It calls to mind when Larian said Divinity won’t feature any AI-generated art after the studio’s CEO made some contentious remarks about using the technology for concept art. At that time, Larian doubled down on its hopes that AI would make its devs more productive but reassured fans that it wouldn’t replace these workers. Capcom may be following a similar path, as it also said it would focus on “increasing the number of development personnel” earlier in the Q&A despite its interest in AI-driven efficiency gains.

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These statements on AI come at a big moment for the company. A major Saudi Arabian investment firm just bought a 5.03% stake in Capcom, which may put the company under the magnifying glass going forward. Other Saudi investments in gaming have been met with a fair share of skepticism and controversy, so this news, alongside the expressed intent to increase AI usage, could put Capcom under tighter scrutiny going forward.