The creator of recently announced virtual pet simulator Catly has responded to allegations that the game’s trailer and marketing materials were produced using generative artificial intelligence, claiming that no such technology was used in either the announcement at The Game Awards or the game itself.
In a statement shared with IGN, a PR representative authorized to speak on behalf of developer SuperAuthenti said that no generative artificial intelligence was used in the production of the trailer or game. Additionally, the representative stated that the creator is “very surprised by such speculations,” adding that “We don’t think there are any artificial intelligence tools that could produce a video like this. Industry experts shared this opinion.”
The PR representative also showed IGN a version of The Game Awards trailer that featured progress shots interspersed with the final cut, which seemed to confirm the lack of use of artificial intelligence in the actual production of the trailer.
Additionally, a PR representative stated that other allegations suggesting Catly is a blockchain game are similarly baseless. They said Catly or the company behind it SuperAuthenti uses “zero blockchain technology” and similarly has no NFTs. “Our company/project has never issued any blockchain currency or NFTs. Our company does not own and has never owned any blockchain currency or NFT.”
A spokesperson confirmed to IGN that Catly is being developed in Unreal Engine 5 and said the developer uses “various software” to create hyperrealistic fur and hair.
Claims that Catly used generative AI technology began circulating almost immediately after its trailer debuted at last week’s The Game Awards. The trailer itself showed hyper-realistic cats with bright fur jumping around a fantasy play space and interacting with humans dressed in various detailed, fashionable outfits. Many critics have described the current art style as reminiscent of the hyper-realistic style often produced by generative artificial intelligence. That said, Catly’s announcement is consistent with the current reality that game trailers of this quality are not within the reach of current generative AI technology without significant, obvious artifacts and other issues.
Others, however, pointed out that while the trailer may be legal, other aspects of Catly’s promotion still cause some excitement. For example, the game’s description on Steam reads awkwardly: “An open cat world with attractive cats. Hyperrealism, action, cuddling, speed, islands, fashion, dreams, snow, robots, plants – all with and through cats.
Several promotional items for the game had strange details similar to artificial intelligence artifacts, such as this cat’s strange paws and nose:
And the text on the wall to the right of the building in this picture:
Others discovered more photos from the official Catly website, which have since been removed, but seem to raise even more questions about their veracity.
Update 17:57: A previous version of this story claimed that the website was down for the entire weekend, but the official website URL provided to IGN was incorrect and the website was therefore still operational.
Original story continues below:
While SuperAuthenti confirmed to me that it does not exploit generative AI in either the trailer or the game itself, it did not respond to my question regarding promotional images on Steam or its website.
For now, it appears that SuperAuthenti is telling the truth about Catly’s trailer at The Game Awards, though it’s not yet known whether or to what extent generative AI was used in Catly’s overall development and promotion. Generative artificial intelligence is also becoming an increasingly popular tool for gaming companies. Call of Duty reportedly sold an “AI-generated cosmetic” for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in behind schedule 2023, and fans have accused Activision of using generative AI in the loading screen again this year. EA said in September that artificial intelligence is “the very core” of its business.
Unfortunately, as technology becomes more widespread and more complicated, it seems likely that it will become increasingly arduous to distinguish AI-generated works from human-made works. In Catly’s case, we’ll have to wait until 2025 to learn more about what exactly lies behind those captivating rainbow cat eyes in the trailer.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Her posts can be found on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Have a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
