Developer Goichi “Suda51” Suda has assured Grasshopper Manufacture fans that the studio’s next game, the ultra-violent Romeo is a Dead Man, contains no AI-generated material.
The executive director and scenario writer was initially teasing a possible Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, stating Grasshopper is “looking into what we can do” to make that happen. Currently, Romeo is a Dead Man is slated for PC via Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Suda then went on to confirm Romeo is a Dead Man “contains no AI-generated stuff whatsoever”, asking the community to “please rest easy on that front”.
Suda’s AI comment comes after a sequel to the studio’s Let it Die appeared to have been built using a considerable amount of generative AI, though Grasshopper was not involved with this project. Rather, Let it Die: Inferno was developed by Supertrick Games, and was met with a number of raised eyebrows on its debut earlier this month due to its use of AI. The developer then released a statement to address the controversy, saying: “We’d like to begin by being transparent about the use of AI tools during development.”
But, back to Grasshopper and Romeo is a Dead Man. The game is due to release next year, on 11th February, having initially been announced in June. The ultra-violent shooter will see players take the role of FBI investigator Romeo Stargazer, who tracks down wanted criminals across spacetime and battles with both guns and swords. You can check out a trailer below.
As for AI, well this is a topic we can’t hide from, with many developers now flirting with the technology. Last week, publisher Running with Scissors cancelled upcoming game Postal: Bullet Paradise – a co-op “bullet-heaven” first-person shooter from developer Goonswarm Games – after feedback to the reveal two days ago said much of the game appeared to have been made using generative AI.
Also last week, Bethesda’s Todd Howard told Eurogamer that while he sees AI as a “tool”, the studio always aims to “protect artistry” and “human intention” in its games.
