Steam Forced Activision to Admit Usage of AI-generated Assets in Call of Duty

Activision has officially confirmed that it has been using generative AI to develop Call of Duty assets. The announcement was made via a shadow-dropped postscript in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s description on its Steam page.

The reveal immediately reflected on the game’s rating as it got a Mostly Negative status of Recent Reviews on Steam as of the time of writing. It is worth noting that Activision made this move because, in January 2025, Steam introduced a new requirement for game developers to clearly disclose any use of AI-generated content in their game descriptions.

This policy change, aimed at increasing transparency, has compelled Activision to admit that generative AI tools have been used to create certain in-game assets. As of now, Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Steam page states: “Our team uses generative Al tools to help develop some in-game assets.”

This revelation comes after years of many players pointing to suspiciously unnatural in-game assets—such as skins, camos, and calling cards—as potential signs of AI involvement. One of the most infamous examples was the “zombie Santa Claus” loading screen art, which featured a character with six fingers – one of the most common artifacts of generative AI.

At the Game Developers Conference in April 2023, executives from King, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, discussed the positive impact of AI on game development. Reports from July 2024 indicate that Activision has used generative AI for creating concept art and marketing materials, with plans to expand its use in other areas. According to the same report, it has led to job cuts, particularly among 2D artists, and has prompted remaining staff to adopt AI tools in their workflows.