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Riot Games and its parent company Tencent recently faced significant criticism from fans after releasing an AI-generated trailer for “League of Legends: Wild Rift,” prompting a statement from Executive Producer David Xu.
Wild Rift is a free-to-play Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) designed and published by Riot Games for mobile devices. It’s important to note that this game is different from the PC version of League of Legends.
To mark the game’s third anniversary, Wild Rift China shared an AI-created trailer showcasing popular characters from the franchise, including Aurora, Jinx, Seraphine, Ezreal, and Yasuo. The trailer was first allegedly shared on China’s Weibo platform and quickly spread across other social media channels. Users criticized Riot Games and Tencent for employing AI in its creation, especially when compared to other acclaimed animated League of Legends trailers and Netflix’s acclaimed series, Arcane.
Riot Games Faces Backlash Over AI-Generated League of Legends Trailer
The trailer received widespread negative feedback, leading Riot to remove it from their platforms. Despite this, many fans continued to share it on Western social media sites like X (formerly Twitter). The main concerns raised by players were:
- The absence of a human touch in the AI-generated content, raising worries about potential layoffs of dedicated employees.
- The inconsistent art style, with characters displaying awkward facial expressions.
- The characters in the trailer appeared to be heavily inspired by Pixar films, making their design seem overly synthetic.
- Fans also accused Riot of using AI for the accompanying music, citing its “mediocre and soulless” lyrics.
Executive Producer David Xu addressed the controversy via X, stating, “Hey folks, yesterday we posted a creator-made video on our official Weibo channel that, frankly, didn’t meet expectations. When we distribute content through our official channels, it’s our responsibility to uphold high standards and be transparent about its origin. Thank you for the feedback; we will improve.”
One fan responded, “Creator-made implies they created it, not a machine.” Another added, “‘Hit the mark’ might not be the best phrase. It’s clearly AI, and the fact it was approved and posted suggests a lack of attention or concern somewhere.”
Community Reactions and Artistic Concerns
Fans expressed disappointment specifically about the character Seraphine, criticizing her voice and overall design changes. Many viewed Riot’s decision to publish AI-generated content as a betrayal to artists who have spent years building the world of Runeterra through their creative work. Some remarked that this move feels like a betrayal to the artistic community and the franchise’s legacy.
The widespread backlash underscores ongoing debates about AI’s role in creative industries, especially in gaming and animation, where the human touch and artistic integrity are valued highly.
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