The integration of generative AI into game development is one of the industry's most heated debates. On one side, developers and artists fear for their jobs and the soul of their craft. On the other, publishers see an unprecedented tool for efficiency and scale. But what do the players—the people who actually buy and play the games—think?
According to Jacob Navok, the former business director for Square Enix and current CEO of Genvid Technologies, the answer is simple: they don’t.
In a series of pointed comments on social media, Navok argued that the vocal criticism of AI tools is a niche concern, and that the majority of the gaming audience "generally do not care" how the assets in their favorite games are created. His perspective throws fuel on a fire that is already burning brightly across development studios and online forums.
The Proof is in the Playtime: Arc Raiders and Roblox as Case Studies
Navok didn’t just state his opinion; he pointed to two recent success stories to back his claim.
First, he highlighted Arc Raiders, the extraction shooter from Embark Studios. The game has openly admitted to using an AI voice generator for some of its NPC dialogue. While this drew the ire of some critics, with one particularly harsh review singling out the practice, it appears to have had zero negative impact on the game's popularity.
In fact, the Arc Raiders Steam chart performance has been staggering. The game peaked at nearly 482,000 concurrent players, a number that puts it in direct competition with giants like Battlefield 6 and far surpasses the recent launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. For Navok, this is clear evidence that a technical implementation, controversial or not, is irrelevant if the final product is fun and engaging.
He pushed the argument further by citing the Roblox title Steal a Brainrot. This viral hit relies heavily on generative AI for its core character designs, which Navok himself described as "3D models of AI slop." Yet, the game achieved a monumental concurrent player count of more than 24 million. The message, as he sees it, is that player enjoyment trumps any purist debate about the origin of art assets.
A Quiet Revolution: Why Publishers Are Tiptoeing into AI
Despite the potential, major players in the industry have been cautious about their AI announcements. When companies like Electronic Arts (EA) are asked about their AI initiatives, the responses are often measured. EA has publicly stated that it encourages the use of AI apps to enhance productivity, carefully framing it as a tool to empower workers, not replace them.
However, Navok suggests the reality on the ground is more aggressive. He reveals that many studios are already employing "AI generation in the concept phase" to rapidly prototype ideas, while others are leaning on it for essential programming tasks. This quiet adoption indicates a significant shift happening behind closed doors, even if the public messaging remains cautious.
The most stark example comes from Navok’s former employer. Square Enix, the legendary maker of the Final Fantasy franchise, has publicly announced a plan to replace a staggering 70% of its debugging and QA efforts with AI tools. This move, while framed as a push for efficiency, sends a clear signal about the potential for AI to disrupt game development jobs.
The Human Cost: Emotion vs. Logic in the Player Base
Navok’s most controversial assertion is that audiences should not differentiate between art created by machines and code written by humans. He believes that those who do are "driven by emotion rather than logic."
This statement has, unsurprisingly, not sat well with many in the gaming community. Critics were quick to point out that the issue isn't just philosophical; it's about tangible quality. Shoddy, AI-generated art and uncanny voiceovers can directly harm immersion and gameplay quality, pulling players out of the experience.
Beyond quality, there is a significant wave of player sympathy for the developers themselves. Many gamers are deeply connected to the passionate teams behind their favorite titles and are concerned about the potential for widespread job displacement as publishers seek to cut costs and accelerate production cycles.
The Bottom Line Trumps All
The debate over AI in games is complex, pitting artistic integrity and employment against economic efficiency and rapid innovation. For now, the data from hits like Arc Raiders and Steal a Brainrot seems to support Navok’s central thesis: if the game is good, the technology behind it is a secondary concern for the masses.
The question remains whether a high-profile failure attributed to poor AI implementation will change that calculus. But for the time being, as long as publishers see a direct boost to their bottom lines, the growing use of generative AI in game development appears to be a trend that is just getting started—regardless of the blowback.
For all the anti-AI sentiment we're seeing in various articles, it appears consumers generally do not care.
— Jacob Navok (@JNavok) November 16, 2025
The biggest game of the year, Steal a Brainrot, had 30m concurrents or approximately 80x the ARC Raiders concurrents, and is named after/based on AI slop characters. (All… https://t.co/B3mexTjBcK
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