Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Draws Flak Over Alleged GenAI Use as Steam Player Count Underwhelms

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was released on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox last week, but the game’s launch wasn’t great. The game’s concurrent player count on Steam has always been low, especially compared to recently released multiplayer rivals like Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders. Black Ops 7 players have also pointed out and criticized the alleged use of generative artificial intelligence in some of the game’s artwork.

“Black Ops 7” Steam player count

Black Ops 7, which can be accessed through the Call of Duty app, surpassed 100,000 concurrent players on Steam on Sunday, two days after its release (epr SteamDB). Those numbers pale in comparison to Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders, which reached peak concurrent player numbers of 700,000 and 300,000 immediately upon release.

However, it’s worth noting that most Black Ops 7 PC players will access the shooter through a Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscription. The latest Call of Duty game was added to Xbox Game Pass on launch day. Player IDs are not shared on PlayStation and Xbox platforms. Activision and Microsoft have yet to share sales figures or player numbers for Black Ops 7.

However, Xbox boss Phil Spencer congratulated the developer on the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. “A huge thank you to the incredible team behind Call of Duty. Your creativity and passion continue to shape gaming culture and deliver unforgettable experiences. You’ve made history again. Congratulations on this amazing milestone,” Spencer said after the game’s release on Saturday.

Generative AI artwork in Black Ops 7

Black Ops 7 also caused controversy due to its alleged use of generative artificial intelligence in the game. After the game launched, some players took to social media to point out that the artwork on the in-game player cards appeared to be created using generative artificial intelligence. Judging from the screenshots posted by players, many of the aforementioned artworks resemble the Studio Ghibli-style AI images that went viral when OpenAI launched its GPT-4o-powered image generation feature earlier this year.

On the game’s Steam page, Activision acknowledged using generative AI tools “to help develop some in-game assets” in its AI-generated content disclosure section, but did not specify which assets were created using the AI ​​tools.

Activision said in a statement to XboxEra: “Like many companies around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including artificial intelligence tools, to empower and support our teams to create the best possible gaming experience for players. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals across the studio.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 releases on November 14th on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X. The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass.