Jagex, the developer behind RuneScape, has issued an apology after a trailer shown at RuneFest featured a character with a clear generative AI artifact: a sixth finger. The trailer, intended for the upcoming Dragon Slayer 2 quest in RuneScape 3, also depicted the character's armor with unusual, sneaker-like soles.
The oversight drew immediate attention on social media, compounding Jagex's recent difficulties with generative AI, following a controversy involving a clothing collaboration with 100 Thieves shortly before RuneFest. Despite the trailer being for RS3, the statement addressing the situation came from Alec 'Mod Sween' Sween, who is associated with Old School RuneScape, via the 2007scape subreddit.
"We're aware of the concerns raised about the Dragon Slayer 2 trailer and have taken it down, while we investigate this urgently," Mod Sween wrote. "This trailer was produced by a trusted external partner who had explicitly confirmed that GenAI would not be used. But, among other things, there's a sixth finger and, well, that's pretty hard to explain away. For that we apologise."
Mod Sween reiterated Jagex's official stance on generative AI: "Our position is clear at Jagex: we don't use GenAI to create our games, artwork or creative assets, and will not knowingly allow it to be used on our behalf." He acknowledged that this is the second instance in quick succession where generative AI concerns have arisen through trusted partners, highlighting an internal process issue that Jagex intends to address.
Jagex is reportedly overhauling its review processes. In the interim, the company plans to collaborate with and commission creators from the community to ensure the Dragon Slayer 2 quest is presented to the standard expected of such a significant update.
Mod Sween admitted that the development team "should have caught these things," stating, "We didn't do well enough and can't simply place the blame elsewhere." The incident underscores the challenges in vetting external assets, especially when relying on assurances that generative AI has not been employed.