Nexon has acknowledged “irregularities” in a collection of TikTok ads for The First Descendant after followers accused the corporate of manufacturing the “low effort” advertising and marketing supplies through AI.
It follows breaking information over the weekend by which Reddit consumer iHardlyTriHard collated 4 uncommon ads after scrolling their For You Web page for simply quarter-hour. With all 4 exhibiting mismatched lip syncing, unusual head actions, unnatural dialogue, and no less than one which seems to make use of the likeness of content material creator DanieltheDemon — though whether or not this was with or with out permission, we do not but know — followers instantly started speculating that they’d been produced through AI.
It’s really loopy to see the sport the First Descendent not solely steal content material from a recognized content material creator and used AI to advertise their sport. However they did ANOTHER advert utilizing AI once more to advertise their sport.
As I discussed the opposite day, streamers want to concentrate on this. pic.twitter.com/bqOUE1FGX5
— iamBrandon 🏳️🌈 (@iamBrandonTV) August 15, 2025
Nexon was fast to reply, though the developer’s assertion spawns as many questions because it solutions.
It mentioned the adverts got here from a TikTok Artistic Problem for creators, “which permits creators to voluntarily submit their content material for use as promoting supplies.” And whereas “all submitted movies are verified by way of TikTok’s system to examine copyright violations earlier than they’re accepted as promoting content material,” it has since recognized “circumstances the place the circumstances surrounding the manufacturing of sure submitted movies seem inappropriate” and launched an investigation.
Curiously, the assertion does not apologize — the one time an apology seems, it is as a result of “delay in offering this discover” in regards to the investigation, because it’s “taking longer than anticipated.” Nexon mentioned that after “verification is full,” it should share an replace “by way of an official discover.”
This is the assertion in full:
We want to inform you of sure irregularities recognized within the operation of our TikTok Artistic Problem for creators.
As part of our advertising and marketing marketing campaign for Season 3: Breakthrough, we not too long ago ran a Artistic Problem program for TikTok creators, which permits creators to voluntarily submit their content material for use as promoting supplies.
All submitted movies are verified by way of TikTok’s system to examine copyright violations earlier than they’re accepted as promoting content material.
Nevertheless, we’ve develop into conscious of circumstances the place the circumstances surrounding the manufacturing of sure submitted movies seem inappropriate. Thus, we’re conducting a radical joint investigation with TikTok to find out the information.
We sincerely apologize for the delay in offering this discover because the evaluation is taking longer than anticipated. As soon as the verification is full, we’ll promptly share an replace by way of an official discover.Thanks in your endurance and understanding.
Nexon is simply the most recent firm to return underneath fireplace for generative AI utilization. In June, The Alters developer 11 Bit Studios promised an replace to each to exchange the AI-generated content material with handcrafted property after followers found AI prompts within the sport that had not been correctly disclosed.
Jurassic World Evolution 3 developer Frontier Developments equally needed to stroll again its use of generative AI characters portraits after widespread criticism, and Activision has been skewered repeatedly for its generative AI use, together with current examples of an advert for a Guitar Hero sport that does not exist, and a few Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 6 property.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, in addition to a critic, columnist, and guide with 15+ years expertise working with a few of the world’s greatest gaming websites and publications. She’s additionally a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually Excessive Chaos. Discover her at BlueSky.