1666: Amsterdam Developer Admits Using AI Assets and Apologizes, Says They’ll Now Be Replaced

The developer of 1666: Amsterdam has apologized for its use of AI assets in the game's playable prologue, which is available now on PC.

In a statement posted to X/Twitter, the studio acknowledged "concerns" had been raised by those who had played the 30-minute experience and spotted in-game art that appeared AI-generated.

Panache Digital Games, which previously made ape survival game Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, announced 1666: Amsterdam last week during the Summer Games Fest livestream. It's a concept that Panache founder Patrice Désilets devised years ago following his acrimonious exit from Ubisoft, where he co-created Assassin's Creed.

The statement admits that Panache's team of artists used AI to generate "early versions of assets," which will now be replaced for the game's full version. It's unclear if these were always set to be replaced, or are simply being changed due to backlash.

"A number of people have raised questions or concerns to us about whether assets in our marketing and game use generative AI," Panache wrote. "We have a dedicated team of over a dozen talented and experienced artists. With them, we looked into the assets in question and found that there were indeed some early versions of assets that made their way into the the prologue. This includes some in-game portraits and external marketing assets.

"We are actively reviewing the assets in question. Human made versions will be released in an update dropping soon. We own up to this oversight and apologize for any upset caused. Please be assured that the Early Access and full game will not include any assets generated by AI."

The 1666: Amsterdam Prologue is available now for free via Epic Games Store and Steam, where it sits with a 'Mixed' user review rating. "They use gen AI in many places," reads one user review. "Pictures inside the game, assets and even the promo key art is generated. I'm de-wishlisting it and ignoring the company." Said another: "about AI, it's not hard to hire an artist to do concept art, or in-game assets. The game has cut corners and in its current state and I cannot recommend it."

Others have praised the prologue's atmosphere and Assassin's Creed 2-like vibes, while some have criticised its technical performance. Still, it is early days — with an early access release due at some point later this year, before plans for a full launch at a later date.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social