Despite a flurry of confusing headlines based on an interview with EuroGamer, Chinese gaming mogul NetEase Games has not stopped or discourage the us of generative AI for their games. This discussion on NetEase supposedly closing its AI research section and its policy to not use it came from the aforementioned interview with Suda 51 (Goichi Suda). Known for his work on Lollipop Chainsaw and No More Heroes III, he’s been hard at work on the upcoming title self-published title, Romeo is a Dead Man. NetEase Games is the parent company of his video game developer studio, Grasshopper Manufacture, but it will not be publishing the title.
With EuroGamer, the game industry veteran confirmed that his studio “never did any research into AI.” Suda 51 doesn’t elaborate on his opinions of other people using it in their games, but currently, his studio has no intention of using it.
Right now, we just don’t use it. We have no interest in it. It’s kind of hard to make a solid statement on how I feel about the industry, to be honest I don’t have the knowledge-base to comment on it.
The way we make games now, the specific skills of the studio and people we know, be it practical effects, art, creating graphics on their own… those skills and passion the humans put into their works comes across to players. It’s something people can feel, not just that it was person-made not AI-made, but you can tell someone poured their heart into this. Someone worked hard to make this happen.
Game outlet, FRVR, reports a NetEase representative clarified that the company hasn’t banned the usage of the technology. Quite the opposite, as the company will be giving a talk focusing on AI’s workflow efficiencies at GDC 2026. The outlet also reports Where Winds Meet, a game published under NetEase Games’ is still “actively using forms of Generative AI for numerous elements of the open-world action game.”
Last year, NetEase shut down studio US-based T-Minus Zero Entertainment, Fantastic Pixel Castle, and Bad Brain Game Studios.
