Nội dung
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 speaks out on generative AI controversy
- Developers say AI was only an experimental tool, not the final creative foundation
- Charlie Cox says he feels “awkward” about the huge success despite not having played the game
- Charlie Cox still doesn’t own a console, but wants to try the game after its breakout success
- Google says most games have quietly used AI; the issue is transparency
- A perspective for the Vietnamese market
- References
AI is becoming the gaming industry’s most sensitive topic — not only because of its impact on production workflows, but because of how the public judges a product’s “originality.” From the controversy around Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to Google’s admission that most games have quietly used AI, a series of developments in July 2026 sends Vietnamese marketers a clear message: transparency about technology is no longer a secondary choice, but is directly determining brand trust.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 speaks out on generative AI controversy
The hit role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has recently been drawn into controversy related to generative AI. According to reports, the Indie Game Awards withdrew two honors previously given to the game in the “Game of the Year” and “Best Debut Game” categories for 2025, keeping the title in the spotlight.
In response, Sandfall Entertainment said the game’s final content was created by humans. The studio acknowledged experimenting with AI in the early stages as a temporary tool to fill gaps, mainly in unfinished asset areas, but those data were deleted when they no longer fit the team’s creative direction.
What stands out here is not just the AI technology itself, but how a studio chooses to disclose and handle information. In a context where players are increasingly sensitive to content “made by machines,” the developer’s answer is defensive, but it also shows an effort to protect handcrafted creative value. Source: Toy People.
Developers say AI was only an experimental tool, not the final creative foundation
According to reporting from a Q&A session organized by Kepler Interactive, game director Guillaume Broche said the team had already been deep into development before the generative AI wave exploded in 2022. They did try using AI to fill in unfinished textures, but after testing it in practice, the tool did not feel aligned with the project’s quality or artistic vision.
In other words, AI appeared in the workflow only as a “try and discard” step, rather than becoming part of the finished product. This approach reflects the pressure many studios face: they want to use new technology to speed things up, while still preserving aesthetic consistency and community trust.
This is an important detail for marketers in the creative industry: when a brand or studio uses AI, what users care about is not only “whether it was used,” but where it was used, what it was used for, and whether it affects the final quality. Source: Toy People.
Charlie Cox says he feels “awkward” about the huge success despite not having played the game
Charlie Cox, who voices the character Gustave in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, previously shared that he felt somewhat “out of place” in the face of the game’s major success. The reason was simple: he admitted he had not played the game and had almost no direct experience with the very product he helped voice.
At a fan meet-and-greet event, Cox said he only spent about four hours recording after his representative asked whether he was interested in voiceover work. Even so, he kept receiving congratulations and praise for the game’s quality, leading him to jokingly describe himself as “an impostor.”
This story shows that the value of a celebrity in gaming is not only about fame, but also about how closely they are connected to the product. When a brand representative joins a project but does not truly experience it, communications activities need to be designed carefully to avoid a sense of distance or insincerity with the player community. Source: Toy People.
Charlie Cox still doesn’t own a console, but wants to try the game after its breakout success
In another appearance at GalaxyCon, Charlie Cox revealed that he still has not bought a gaming console and has not directly experienced Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. He recalled that the last game he played was Super Mario 64, a detail that shows the fairly large gap between him and the modern gaming world.
Even so, the wave of positive feedback for the game has drawn Cox’s attention and led him to express a desire to try it soon. From a communications perspective, this is a classic example of how a product can “pull” even its participants into the experience journey, creating additional organic viral content around the gaming brand.
For campaigns involving celebrities, the story should not stop at attaching a famous name to attract attention. More important is turning the celebrity into a real part of the experience, so they can tell the product story more naturally and credibly. Source: Toy People.
Google says most games have quietly used AI; the issue is transparency
In a broader industry development, Jack Buser — Global Director of Gaming at Google Cloud — said that most popular games today have integrated AI into their development process, but many studios do not want to disclose it for fear of negative reactions from players. According to him, this caution is creating a gap between production reality and public perception.
Buser also referred to a survey at Gamescom last year, which found that about 90% of developers admitted to using AI in their workflows. Google is now promoting tools such as Gemini and Nano Banana Pro for repetitive, less creative tasks, with the expectation of shortening development time and helping studios release more products.
However, that very argument raises a bigger question: as AI becomes more common, is the gaming industry ready to be honest with users? For marketers, this is a lesson in expectation management. New technology can improve efficiency, but if communications are not transparent, operational advantages can easily be overshadowed by a trust crisis. Source: Toy People.
A perspective for the Vietnamese market
For game companies, creative studios, and technology brands in Vietnam, these stories point to a clear trend: AI is no longer about “whether it is used,” but “how it is used without losing trust.” Users today care more about authenticity, content origin, and the degree to which machines influence the final product.
In brand communications, especially in creative fields such as gaming, advertising, design, and digital content, businesses should:
- clearly disclose AI’s role in the production process;
- distinguish technical support tasks from core creative work done by humans;
- prepare explanatory messaging before the public starts asking questions;
- put quality and user experience ahead of short-term cost-saving benefits.
Instead of trying to hide AI use, a safer approach is to build a transparent story: technology supports people, rather than fully replacing creative value. This will be an important differentiator for brands in Vietnam as they build lasting trust in a period when AI is increasingly entering content production.
See more marketing analysis & guides at Marketing365.
Read more articles in the same category Digital Trends.
This article focuses on AI in games with a perspective for the Vietnamese market.
References
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Addresses Generative AI Controversy, States Human-Made Content, Still Stripped of “Game of the Year” Award
- Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Audio Inspired by Fire Force Anime
- Charlie Cox on “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” Success: “I Feel Like a Fraud — I Haven’t Even Played the Game”
- Charlie Cox Admits He Doesn’t Own a Console, Still Wants to Play “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33”
- Google Exec: Most Games Secretly Use AI in Development, Players Unaware — Igniting Industry Transparency Debate
