Phantom Blade Zero Developer Rejects Gen AI, Prioritises Artisic Vision

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The upcoming action game, Phantom Blade Zero, created by Chinese studio S-Game, was made entirely without using artificial intelligence, says the studio’s CEO, Qiwei Liang, also known as “Soulframe.”

Phantom Blade Zero Doesn’t Use AI

We know technology is changing rapidly, but all the art in our game is still created by human artists, as Liang explained in a social media post. We’ve made a commitment not to use AI tools that would change the original vision of our artists.

We created our character models using 3D scans of our amazing cast, who also performed the facial capture. Our talented voice actors carefully refined the dialogue in both Chinese and English, and we’ve perfectly synchronized the lip movements to match both languages.

Liang is focusing on the three main ways AI is currently being used: creating art and other assets, translation, and generating voices. Most studios are now open to using AI, often citing improvements in efficiency and the potential to boost creative work.

We used motion capture technology and worked with over twenty skilled martial artists to create realistic combat. To ensure authenticity, we consulted directly with masters from traditional martial arts schools. For sword fighting, we brought in experts from Mount Emei, and for lion dance sequences, we collaborated with masters from Guangdong province, as Liang explained.

Our travels took us to incredible places all over China, including historic family halls in Fujian, charming old towns in Zhejiang, and even former steel factories in Beijing. We used what we saw in these diverse locations, mixing and matching elements in surprising ways, to develop a unique visual style we call ‘Kungfu-punk’.

Essentially, S-Game believes in letting its artists truly create the world of Phantom Blade Zero, prioritizing original work over relying on AI to generate predictable and uninspired content.

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Liang explained that at S-Game, they see human creativity as the core of what they offer, not just a tool for making profits. They didn’t simply set out to create a game; they focused on building a talented and dedicated team, and then made a game that everyone involved could truly be proud of.

Phantom Blade Zero releases on September 9, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam.

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2026-04-10 17:34