Duke Nukem 1+2 Remastered Developer Apologizes for AI Produced Key Art

Yesterday, Blaze Entertainment announced a partnership with Gearbox to bring Duke Nukem 1+2 Remastered to the Evercade system. While the news was met with a lot of excitement, many fans took issue with the game’s key art; it was quickly discovered that the image was actually produced using AI. The biggest tell seemed to be the hero’s arms and feet, and some fans even stated that they would not be supporting the game as a result. Blaze Entertainment CEO Andrew Byatt has now issued a statement addressing the key art, while also revealing that new art will be commissioned.

“As part of this, an artist was commissioned to produce a lead imagefor the new Duke Nukem 1+2 Remastered game developed by BlazeEntertainment. It is abundantly clear from the response on social mediathat the work on this commission has fallen below the expectation andstandards demanded by fans due to the artists’ use of AI in the process,” the statement reads. “We are immediately removing the art where possible to do so and willbe announcing a replacement commission in due course that better meetsthe high standard expected.”

The controversy surrounding Duke Nukem 1+2 Remastered is a perfect example of the problem with AI produced art. While the technology has grown by leaps and bounds, it’s far from perfect, and there are several easy to spot details that give away its origins. AI art is also cobbled together from existing art made by real humans, with no attribution provided. As such, it’s easy to see why this has become such a hot topic, especially among legitimate artists.

At this time, it’s unclear if Blaze Entertainment will forge forward with artist Oskar Manuel, or if the newly commissioned art will come from someone else entirely. Clearly this wasn’t the reaction that Blaze was hoping for when they announced Duke Nukem 1+2 Remastered! Hopefully the new commission will meet the standards of fans, and will make them more comfortable supporting the project.

Do you plan on checking out Duke Nukem 1+2 Remastered? Have you purchased an Evercade? Let usknow in thecomments or sharedirectly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!