《赤血沙漠》本就深陷口碑兩極分化的困境，在 Steam 上獲評「褒貶不一」，玩家也紛紛吐槽操作手感問題，如今遊戲內又被曝出使用 AI 生成素材，無疑是雪上加霜。從多出來的肢體，到畫風詭異、如同噩夢般的馬匹建模，該事件引發了玩家與非玩家群體的強烈不滿。
We would like to address questions regarding the use of AI in Crimson Desert. During development, some 2D visual props were created as part of early-stage iteration using experimental AI generative tools. These assets helped us rapidly explore tone and atmosphere in the earlier phases of production. However, our intention has always been for any such assets to be replaced, following final work and review by our art and development teams, with work that aligned with our quality standards and creative direction. Following reports from our community, we have identified that some of these assets were unintentionally included in the final release. This is not in line with our internal standards, and we take full responsibility for it. We also acknowledge that we should have clearly disclosed our use of AI. While these tools were primarily used during early production, with the expectation that these assets would be replaced prior to release, we recognize that this does not excuse the lack of transparency. We sincerely apologize for these oversights. We are currently conducting a comprehensive audit of all in-game assets and are taking steps to replace any affected content. Updated assets will be rolled out in upcoming patches. In parallel, we are reviewing and strengthening our internal processes to ensure greater transparency and consistency in how we communicate with players moving forward.
對此，開發商Pearl Abyss作出回應，其說辭與 法國工作室Sandfall Interactive針對《33號遠征隊》的表態十分相似：「在開發階段，我們曾藉助實驗性AI生成工具製作部分2D視覺道具，用於早期開發疊代。」
「這類素材能讓我們在製作初期快速把控遊戲的基調與氛圍。不過我們的初衷始終是，在美術與開發團隊完成最終審核後，將這些素材替換為符合我們品質標準與創作方向的原創內容。」這番表態，與拉瑞安工作室此前在《神界》系列中嘗試使用 AI 素材、卻因大規模反對而被迫調整的做法如出一轍。
Found this AI Painting.
by u/Rex_Spy in CrimsonDesert
當然，Pearl Abyss也承認並非所有 AI 素材都完成替換，部分內容「被意外納入了最終發售版本。這不符合我們的內部標準，我們對此承擔全部責任。」
此外，該公司未按 Steam 平台政策披露使用生成式 AI 工具的行為也招致眾怒，開發商對此也予以承認：「我們也意識到，本應明確披露 AI 工具的使用情況。儘管這些工具主要用於開發早期，且我們本計劃在發售前替換相關素材，但這並不能成為我們缺乏透明度的藉口。我們為這些疏忽致以誠摯歉意。」
目前，開發商Pearl Abyss正「對遊戲內所有素材開展全面審核，並著手替換所有受影響內容」。預計現有問題素材會在後續補丁中更新，但暫無具體上線時間。同時，公司也在「審視並完善內部流程，確保未來與玩家溝通時能做到更透明、更一致。」
在此風波之前，該工作室還在慶祝遊戲發售首日銷量突破200萬份。其Steam在線玩家峰值曾超23.9萬人，而本周末這一數據再度小幅攀升，當前峰值已達24.8萬人。
《赤血沙漠》現已登陸Xbox Series X/S、PS5與PC平台。儘管遊戲在畫面、戰鬥與探索玩法上各有亮點，卻也存在不少瑕疵，同時劇情與遊戲敘事風格遭到負評。
