Insomniac Denies GenAI Use in Wolverine After Odd Bathroom Sign Sparks Speculation

Fans discovered an oddly rendered bathroom sign in Marvel's Wolverine, sparking speculation that developer Insomniac Games had used generative AI. The community pushback was swift, but Insomniac's community and marketing director James Stevenson quickly set the record straight.

"There are no AI-generated assets in Marvel's Wolverine," Stevenson stated. The unusual appearance of the bathroom image results from a UV map bug, with a fix already underway.

The clarification matters because Insomniac previously used machine learning to streamline development on 2023's Spider-Man 2, and the studio plans to continue that approach. However, AI-generated assets remain off the table for now.

Marvel's Wolverine launched on September 15 to strong commercial performance, reportedly surpassing the lifetime sales of Death Stranding 2 on PS5 immediately. GameSpot's review scored the game 8/10, with reviewer Tamoor Hussain calling it "a fun but forgettable experience that'll entertain you for a few hours."

The clarification underscores ongoing industry debate around generative AI in game development. While Insomniac draws the line at AI-generated assets, other studios take different approaches. Activision's Call of Duty games incorporate generative AI, as does Sega's upcoming Crazy Taxi: World Tour.