Polish game developer 11 Bit Studios admitted Monday to using undisclosed AI-generated content in its survival game The Alters, responding to mounting criticism after players discovered telltale signs of artificial intelligence in background text and translations. The studio acknowledged violating Steam's requirement that developers disclose AI usage on their store pages.
In a statement posted on Bluesky, 11 Bit Studios said AI-generated assets were used strictly as temporary placeholders during development and claimed their inclusion in the final release was due to oversight12. The studio explained that an AI-generated text for a background texture was "never intended to be part of the final release" but was "mistakenly left in the game" due to "an internal oversight"2.
The developer also addressed AI-generated translations found in Brazilian Portuguese subtitles, saying these covered "a few licensed movies" that represented just 0.3 percent of the game's text34. "Due to extreme time constraints, we chose not to involve our translation partners and had these videos localized using AI to have them ready on launch," the studio stated3.
11 Bit Studios said it is removing the problematic texture and working with localization partners to replace the AI translations through a planned hotfix13.
The controversy erupted over the weekend when players found unmistakable traces of AI generation in The Alters, which launched June 1312. Screenshots circulated showing an in-game display featuring a "Captain's Log" that began with the phrase "Sure, here's a revised version focusing purely on scientific and astronomical data" — language characteristic of ChatGPT responses13.
Additional evidence emerged in the game's Portuguese translation, where subtitles read "Sure! The text translated to Brazilian Portuguese is..." before cutting off mid-sentence12. Localization specialist Lucile Danilov criticized the practice on LinkedIn as "spitting in the face of your international audience"1.
Players expressed frustration not just with the AI usage, but with the lack of disclosure. "Steam requires devs to be honest about AI use. This is not okay," one player wrote on the game's community page4.
Since January 2024, Valve has required games using AI-generated content to disclose this information as part of Steam's Distribution Agreement, covering art, code, sound and other AI-assisted materials1. The Alters made no such disclosure at launch.
The controversy highlights growing scrutiny around AI usage in game development as the technology becomes more prevalent. Despite the backlash, The Alters maintains an 84 score on Metacritic and "Very Positive" rating on Steam2.
