The recent announcement trailer for Humankind 2, revealed at Gamescom's Opening Night Live, has drawn speculation online regarding its production method, with many viewers questioning if artificial intelligence was used. Developer Amplitude Studios has since clarified that the trailer was a live-action production.
"The Humankind 2 live-action announcement trailer was filmed at Nu Boyana Film Studios in Sofia using real actors, practical sets, and custom-made props created specifically for the production," Amplitude Studios told PC Gamer via email. The studio also indicated that behind-the-scenes images from the shoot would be shared soon, and PC Gamer has viewed some of these images, which depict actors on a sound stage with partial sets and blue backdrops commonly used for compositing special effects.
The trailer features a unique perspective from infants, showing unsettlingly realistic depictions of historical and fantastical figures including a prehistoric woman, a Viking, an American settler, and other parental figures from various eras and locations. The backgrounds in these scenes include elements such as a giant tornado, bandits on horseback, a nuclear explosion, and outer space. While Amplitude has not detailed the creation of these specific special effects, they are likely to be traditional CGI.
Amplitude Studios is also working on gameplay improvements for Humankind 2, promising new progression systems, innovative features, enhanced visuals, and a modernized user interface. The studio previously released Humankind, which was described as a solid 4X strategy game that could benefit from more distinct personality. Humankind 2 is slated for a PC release in 2027, and a Steam page is now available with further details.