Round8 Studio Hiring AI Creator as Lies of P Sequel Moves Forward

Round8 Studio, the team behind the highly-rated Lies of P, has posted a job ad for an “AI Creator.” This role will leverage generative AI tools for creating assets. However, the studio makes it clear that this position won’t be directly involved in developing the sequel to Lies of P.

As reported by PC Gamer, the new hire will utilize tools like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion for asset creation, post-processing, and training AI models for future game projects. This role looks ahead as part of NEOWIZ’s broader plan involving six games, rather than contributing directly to the sequel currently in the works.

NEOWIZ has been clear that the AI Creator position is connected to future, unannounced projects. This approach helps separate the studio’s praised sequel from any associations with generative AI. At the same time, it hints that the publisher plans to integrate AI tools into its long-term production process.

The job listing appears at a crucial time for Round8. Lies of P launched in September 2023 and quickly racked up over 35,000 Steam reviews, boasting a 93% positive rating. That’s an impressive feat for a first-time Soulslike from a Korean studio. However, this goodwill is facing some challenges. Community backlash to the AI Creator announcement has been quick, with some players already changing their recommendations on Steam.

From a business perspective, this move aligns with a trend among mid-tier publishers looking to increase output without significantly expanding their workforce. NEOWIZ’s ambitious six-game roadmap poses a challenge for a studio like Round8. Developers are increasingly using AI-assisted asset generation to help justify these ambitious goals to investors. Whether this approach harms the brand reputation that Round8 has spent years building is another question, one that the studio hasn’t addressed yet.

By The Numbers

Steam Review Score	93% Positive
Total Steam Reviews	35,079
Current Steam Price	$59.99
Current Concurrent Players	1,142
Original Release Date	September 19, 2023

Since the job listing went live, community response has leaned negative. One reviewer on Steam commented: “Dumbarses decided to use generative AI now so I can’t in good conscience recommend you buy the game anymore, pirate it.” This sentiment appears across various community feedback, suggesting a collective frustration rather than a few isolated complaints. Whether this will lead to significant review-bombing of the original game or affect pre-orders for the sequel is still unclear.

What To Watch

• Sequel communications: Round8 hasn’t clarified how strictly the AI Creator role will be separated from Lies of P 2 production. Any vagueness in future updates could reignite backlash.
• Steam review trajectory: Lies of P currently holds a 93% positive rating from 35,079 reviews. Keep an eye on whether news of the AI hiring causes a sustained decline in that score in the coming weeks.
• NEOWIZ’s six-game roadmap: The publisher has publicly linked generative AI to its expansion plans. Observing how the other five projects incorporate AI tools will help determine if this is just a temporary experiment or a shift in the studio’s production strategy.