Is Activision Planning to Create New Big Games Using AI?

Activision surprised gamers with advertisements for new projects based on its popular franchises: Guitar Hero, Crash Bandicoot, and Call of Duty. However, the ads themselves—created using neural networks—became the main talking point.

Image: apple.com

The first ad, promoting Guitar Hero Mobile and linking to an App Store pre-order page, appeared on Activision's social media. The unusual, unnatural imagery immediately sparked online discussion. Similar AI-generated art soon surfaced in ads for other mobile games, including Crash Bandicoot Brawl and Call of Duty Mobile. Initial speculation of hacked accounts was quickly dispelled; this was a deliberate, albeit unconventional, marketing strategy.

Image: apple.com

The gaming community's response was largely negative. Users criticized Activision for using generative AI instead of collaborating with professional artists and designers, fearing a decline in game quality, even drawing comparisons to Electronic Arts' controversial practices.

image: apple.com

Activision's use of AI in development and marketing is increasingly contentious. The company has confirmed AI's role in creating content for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Following the backlash, some promotional posts were removed. Whether these games will actually launch, or if this was simply a provocative audience test, remains uncertain.