Fortnite has updated a piece of in-game artwork after players noticed that the original version contained a watermark from Google's Gemini AI.
The music track "Meow" by Ironmouse, Sleeping Forest & HalaCG was added to Fortnite last month, and the artwork accompanying it featured a subtle Gemini watermark in the bottom right corner. This detail largely went unnoticed until recently, when its discovery on social media and Reddit sparked discussion.
As of this morning, the artwork has been replaced with an alternate version that lacks the Gemini watermark. However, the original art, which included the AI watermark, was not created by Epic Games but was incorporated into the game as part of the track’s existing promotional material. A check on platforms like Spotify reveals the Gemini mark is present on the track’s original artwork.
This change follows previous instances where AI-generated art in Fortnite has drawn scrutiny from fans. Earlier in-game posters were criticized for perceived low quality, with some pointing to examples like a character with nine toes. Epic Games has previously acknowledged its use of AI in the concept phase for creating character art and in-game locations, but has generally avoided confirming specific instances of AI-generated assets within the game itself.
The studio has maintained a standard of quality for its popular battle royale title, and while not as overtly criticized as some other games featuring questionable AI art, the decision to remove the watermarked image suggests Epic Games prefers to avoid displaying overt AI elements. This move occurs as Disney has reportedly stated that discussions about acquiring Epic Games are not currently ongoing.