Marvel Rivals fans suspect that game developer NetEase used generative AI to animate Moon Girl’s artwork for the Devil Dino Hide and Seek event, which launched on May 15. NetEase has yet to respond.
Marvel Rivals Fans Suspect NetEase Uses Gen AI
AI Allegedly Used to Animate Moon Girl Event Artwork
Marvel Rivals fans took to social media after the May 15 launch of the Devil Dino Hide and Seek event to express concerns about the use of generative AI in Moon Girl’s artwork.
They pointed to differences in lines and angles between Moon Girl’s static artwork from earlier event promotions and her current in-game banner. Her original artwork is believed to be human-made but is suspected of being fed into Spine Animation, an industry-standard gen AI-powered animation software.
Fans are "disappointed but not surprised" by the discovery, citing suspected use of gen AI in Star-Lord’s Christmas skin background from December 2025. Overlapping tree streamers and oddly patterned ornaments led fans to question whether the background of the $23 USD Nutcracker-themed skin was created using gen AI.
NetEase has yet to comment on either instance, and has not replaced the game assets in question.
Identity V Players Boycott NetEase Over Alleged AI Use, Racism, and Censorship
These allegations come amid a call for a boycott of NetEase by players of the survival horror game, Identity V, due to claims of gen AI use, racism, and content creator censorship.
Zeus IDV, one of the community’s biggest creators, shared the contents of Identity V’s recently implemented content creator contract in an April 29 livestream. He claims that he refused to sign into Identity V’s creator program after spotting the contract’s "Brand Protection & Sentiment" and "Financial Penalties" clauses, which financially penalize creators for public negative feedback about Identity V.
NetEase has yet to officially address the situation. However, the contract’s focus on preventing unfavorable reviews about the game has led fans to believe that the company is aware of the boycott.
Marvel Rivals was criticized for a similar issue in 2024, when creators requesting codes for the game were met with a contract preventing them from giving any negative feedback. NetEase issued a response through X (formerly Twitter), apologizing for the "miscommunication" and stating that Marvel Rivals welcomes all suggestions.
NetEase Doubles Down on AI Use
In February 2026, NetEase reaffirmed its support of gen AI. During an interview with Eurogamer, the Chinese tech titan refuted Japanese video game designer and writer Suda 51’s claims that the company had shut down its gen AI department.
"The assertion that NetEase Games has closed an AI department or that we’ve mandated teams or studios not to use AI is not true," a NetEase representative said.
Later that month, the company credited AI as a "foundational competency for […] development and operations" in a financial report and confirmed that it will continue to develop AI for its franchises.
Sources:
Marvel Rivals Fan Discussion on X formerly Twitter Account
Identity V Fan Discussion on X
Netease refutes claims made by Suda 51 that it halted generative AI use
NetEase Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Unaudited Financial Results
