The global issuer and producer of “Seima” Cygames, announced last weekend the creation of a fully-funded subsidiary focused on artificial intelligence, “Cygames AI Studio”, which will “build a unique and creative circle that goes beyond simple efficiency gains and aims to expand the creativity of creators.” However, once published, the news sparked overwhelming criticism and discontent in the social media of the player community.
In the face of the continuing criticisms of the many “symas” players on the Internet, Cygames issued a statement of apology six days later, but its sincerity was once again officially questioned and viewed by the outside world as a kind of “sorry I’m sorry I’m upset about you”. Cygames says: “In the last few days, we have received a large number of comments from you expressing anger and disappointment. Since we have published only a simplified announcement in Japanese on the establishment of the company Cygames AI Studio, no reference is made to any of the current problems and social disputes surrounding the generation of AI. We sincerely apologize for the concerns raised.”
Although Cygames states, inter alia, that its existing products do not use the artistic content of the production of the production of the AAI and that “the dignity, enthusiasm and commitment of the people who love the game and the creators and artists who are the architects of the cultural architecture of the game are highly respected”, the company also states that “the AIS will not be applied in our products without prior notice”. Unfortunately, this commitment “to warn before doing bad things for fans” has failed to inspire community confidence — especially since users quickly find that the Cybermes recruitment website is currently recruiting engineers and artists associated with generating AI. The news of Cygames ‘ transition to AI is not entirely unexpected, as its parent company, CyberAgent, has been pursuing an AI-focused strategy in recent years. CyberAgent has had an “AI laboratory” research and development unit since 2016, and in 2023 announced the establishment of another unit focused on generating AI for animation and game development.
Although the application of AI has spread in the game industry, Japanese developers appear to be more daring in making public their interest in this technology. For example, large distributors, such as Screwire Enniks, have publicly committed to a generating AI strategy, and in a 2025 survey, over 50 per cent of Japanese game companies indicated that they were using AI in game development.
