NetEase Clashes With Suda 51 Over Generative AI Policy and Studio Research
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
NetEase has refuted claims by Grasshopper Manufacture's Suda 51 that the publisher halted generative AI research and banned its use in games, clarifying that development and research with the technology are still ongoing.
A behind the scenes disagreement has surfaced between game developer Goichi Suda and publisher NetEase regarding corporate policies on generative artificial intelligence. Speaking with Eurogamer during promotional interviews for Grasshopper Manufacture's upcoming project Romeo is a Dead Man, Suda claimed that NetEase had previously shut down an internal research and development section focused on AI and instructed its partner studios to avoid using the technology entirely. Suda suggested these moves were likely driven by persistent player pushback against generative tools and ongoing legal gray areas surrounding copyright infringement.
NetEase has strongly pushed back against those statements. A company representative told Eurogamer that the assertions regarding a closed AI department or a blanket ban on the technology across its studios are entirely false. To reinforce its ongoing commitment to the space, the publisher pointed toward an upcoming Game Developers Conference talk that will highlight its current work with generative AI tools. Meanwhile, Suda made it clear that Grasshopper Manufacture deliberately avoids these systems, noting that players can usually sense when human effort is missing and that his studio takes pride in handcrafted, human led design.
This friction highlights the broader industry wide tension surrounding generative tools as major publishers experiment with new production pipelines while players and creators voice deep skepticism. As massive cross platform titles balance rising development costs with community pushback on digital authenticity, the debate over where and how these technologies belong in game development remains a central flashpoint for the community. Original reporting and further details can be found over at Eurogamer.
Tags: NetEase, Suda 51, Generative AI, Game Development, Industry News
Original article: Eurogamer