Phantom Blade Zero isn't using AI: "Human artistry is the value itself"

Phantom Blade Zero has lived in my head rent free since Summer Game Fest 2024. I took the action game for a spin on the ground, and its fast pace, dazzling combat, and stunning visuals cemented it as one of my most-anticipated games. But the world has changed a lot since 2024 – I’m hesitant to use the word ‘progressed.’ We’ve seen several prominent studios integrate generative AI into their workflows: Pearl Abyss recently got called out for using AI-created art in Crimson Desert, and the likes of Krafton have been transparent about their plans to heavily invest in the technology. It left me a little worried about Phantom Blade Zero – especially given that NetEase and Tencent have stakes in S-Game.

While rumors swirled that NetEase had shuttered its generative AI division despite the fact that the technology has already popped up in several of its published games (Where Winds Meet springs to mind), the company was quick to squash them, implying that it’s still actively using the technology. Tencent also owns its own AI video creator, Hunyuan, and, per its official website, plans to use AI “to connect the virtual and real worlds and enhance the gameplay experience” with its videogames.

S-Game, however, has confirmed that Phantom Blade Zero is entirely human made, stressing that “every single piece of content in our game has been crafted by the hands of real artists.” Honestly? That’s a colossal W.

In a lengthy April 10 X post, S-Games CEO ‘Soulframe’ confirms that “Phantom Blade Zero is currently in the intense, final stages of development. With the time we have left, we are pouring every available resource into pushing every aspect of the game to the absolute limit of our capabilities.”

He quickly moves on to discuss AI, however, noting: “We are fully aware that a profound technological revolution is unfolding around us. However, to this day, every single piece of content in our game has been crafted by the hands of real artists. We will not use AI visual tech that could alter our artists’ original creative intent.”

He stresses that the game’s characters and Wuxia-esque combat were fully motion captured by both actors and martial arts professionals, and that weapons and locations are inspired by and modelled on real-life historical counterparts. “We firmly believe that human artistry is not merely a means for creating value; it is the value itself,” he says, and I couldn’t have put it better myself.

My favorite little tidbit here is that the game’s maps – which he again highlights “are not AI-generated” – are “hand-drawn using Chinese brushes and Xuan paper (rice paper) by young artists from the Chinese Painting department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA).” In a world so obsessed with modernity and ‘progress,’ initiatives like this make me smile.

“S-Game didn’t just hire a group of developers to make a game,” he continues, concluding: “Rather, in our pursuit of continuously building an exceptional, passionate team, we decided to make a game that everyone here could be deeply proud of.” It’s a refreshing change to the triple-A, ‘game for everyone’ mindset, and one that I can’t help but respect.

Phantom Blade Zero launches on Wednesday September 9. You can wishlist it here on Steam – in fact, I’d encourage you to do so.

In a world that feels in many ways like it’s forgotten its roots, Phantom Blade Zero is a much-needed breath of fresh air. Sure, it’s fantastical; it’s “Kungfupunk.” Yet, it’s so steeped in Chinese tradition that I can’t help but be entranced by it. What I played back in 2024 was a game quite unlike any other, and we’re almost two years on from that now. I can’t wait to see how it’s evolved.