The developer of the recently announced virtual pet simulation game Catly has responded to allegations that the game’s trailer and marketing were produced using generative AI, saying no such technology type had not been used during its announcement at the Game Awards, nor in the game itself.
In a statement shared with IGN, a public relations representative authorized to speak on behalf of developer SuperAuthenti said that generative AI was not used to produce the trailer, nor the game. Additionally, the representative said the developer was “very surprised by such speculation,” adding that “we don’t believe there are any existing AI tools capable of producing a video like that. Industry experts echoed this opinion.
The PR rep also showed IGN a version of the Game Awards trailer that showed in-progress shots interspersed with the final version, which seemed to confirm that the trailer itself was not generated by AI.
Additionally, the PR rep said other claims suggesting Catly was a blockchain game were also unfounded. They said there was “no blockchain technology” involved in Catly or the company behind it, SuperAuthenti, and similarly, there were no NFTs. “Our company/project has never issued any blockchain currency or NFT. Our company does not and has never owned any blockchain currency or NFT.”
The spokesperson confirmed to IGN that Catly is created with Unreal Engine 5 and said the developer uses “various software” to produce hyper-realistic fur and hair.
Claims that Catly was using generative AI technology began circulating almost immediately after its trailer was shown at The Game Awards last week. The trailer itself featured hyper-realistic cats with brightly colored fur and features leaping around a fantasy play space and interacting with a human wearing various detailed and high-fashion outfits. The art style present has been pointed out by many critics as reminiscent of the hyper-realistic style often produced by generative AI. That said, Catly’s statement is consistent with the current reality that game trailers of this quality are not within the reach of current generative AI technology without significant and obvious artifacts and other issues.
However, others have pointed out that while the trailer may be legit, other aspects of Catly’s promotion still give off a certain vibe. For example, the game’s Steam description reads awkwardly: “An open world of cats, with beautiful cats. Hyperrealism, actions, hugs, speed, islands, fashion, dreams, snow, robots, plants – all with and through cats.”
And some of the game’s promotional artwork featured weird AI-like details, such as this cat’s weird paws and nose:
And the text on the wall inside the right side of the building in this image:
Others have discovered other images from Catly’s official website that have since been removed, but appear to raise even more questions about their veracity.
Updated at 5:57 p.m.: A previous version of this story claimed the website had been down all weekend, but the official site URL provided to IGN was incorrect and the website remained online.
Original story continues below:
Although SuperAuthenti told me that it did not use generative AI in either the trailer or the game itself, it did not answer my question regarding its promotional images on Steam or its website.
As for Web3, speculation about the game’s ties to the technology surfaced when individuals discovered studio co-founder Kevin Yeung’s ties to other blockchain games. Additionally, the game’s Steam page features a glowing quote from League of Legends and Arcane producer Thomas Vu, who is himself a major Web3 investor. However, it also contained a quote from Ben Brode, creator of Hearthstone and Marvel Snap, who told Bluesky that he hadn’t heard anything about AI generation or Web3 being involved in Catly and that his interest was genuine . “I saw about 20 (minutes) of gameplay footage a few months ago and thought it was cool, so they asked me for a quote,” he wrote.
For now, it appears that SuperAuthenti is telling the truth about Catly’s Game Awards trailer, although it’s a question of whether or not, or to what extent, generative AI was used in the development and production. Catly’s overall promotion remains to be seen. Generative AI is also becoming an increasingly popular tool for video game companies. Call of Duty is reportedly selling an “AI-generated cosmetic” for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in late 2023, and fans have accused Activision of using generative AI again for a loading screen this year. EA said in September that AI was “the very heart” of its business.
Unfortunately, as technology becomes both more prevalent and more complex, it seems likely that it will become increasingly difficult to differentiate between AI-generated and human-performed work. In Catly’s case, we’ll have to wait until 2025 to learn more about what exactly is behind those mesmerizing rainbow cat eyes from the trailer.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find his post on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Do you have a history tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
This article was edited after publication to more accurately reflect the images seen by IGN.
