Professor Layton Developer Level-5 Reuploads Trailers After Massive AI Art Backlash

Japanese game developer Level-5 is actively editing and reuploading trailers for its Tokyo Game Show lineup after facing intense backlash over the use of generative AI in its VISION 2026 II showcase. CEO Akihiro Hino admitted the studio is leaning on AI tools to compress its major title development cycles from five years down to two years. The developer confirmed it has been using Stable Diffusion since at least 2023 to generate promotional layouts and convert older 2D models into 3D assets for franchises like Yokai Watch. Despite issuing an apology for its "inexperienced use of AI," the studio inflamed the player base further by blaming several of the glaring background visual glitches on "human error" by its own artists. "From now on, we will limit our AI usage to enhancing efficiency, and will avoid directly using it in videos released directly to our fans." — Level-5