AI Art Banned for Life: Hooded Horse CEO Slams Generative Tools as 'Cancerous'

Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender just banned generative AI art in all published games, calling it 'cancerous' and vowing to 'fucking hate' the technology. The publisher now requires developers to sign contracts explicitly forbidding AI-generated assets in final builds.

Bender warned that placeholder assets created with tools like Midjourney or DALL·E could accidentally slip into live games. 'If we're publishing the game, no fucking AI assets' is now a non-negotiable clause in Hooded Horse contracts.

The CEO cited Ubisoft's Anno 187 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as cautionary examples of how AI art leaks can derail development.

While studios like Larian and Sandfall use AI for pre-production concept work, Bender stressed that 'what starts as a placeholder can become a cancer' if not properly vetted.

His comments come as the industry grapples with balancing AI efficiency against creative integrity.