The First Descendant’s Bizarre AI Influencer Ads Spark Controversy with Its Community

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The initial release of The First Descendant is encountering criticism due to an advertising strategy that includes artificial intelligence influencers. Detractors find these advertisements unsettling and without purpose, expressing concerns that they may negatively impact the reputation of The First Descendant rather than positively contributing to it.

Right now, “The First Descendant” is deep into its third installment, which commenced on August 7th. Dubbed “Breakthrough,” this newest batch of seasonal offerings includes a collaboration with “NieR: Automata,” fresh dungeons, a new playable character, and the addition of the Hover Bike vehicle, along with various other innovations. For quite some time now, Nexon has been teasing Season 3, well before its official launch.

The First Descendant’s Uncanny Ad Campaign Misses the Mark

In a novel approach to marketing, a South Korean publisher has initiated an unusual TikTok campaign, showcasing AI-generated videos starring unnatural influencers who discuss aspects of “The First Descendant’s NieR: Automata,” the Wall Crasher boss, and other Season 3 innovations. These AI characters exhibit robotic head movements and awkward pronunciations. Many of these AI personas are modeled after real individuals, such as horror-themed streamer DanieltheDemon, according to PC Gamer. So far, responses on social media suggest that fans have not been overly receptive to this innovative experiment.

The players of The First Descendant have expressed their dissatisfaction towards the ads, labeling them as “awkward” and unsettling. They criticize Nexon for employing AI-generated replicas of streamers rather than supporting genuine creators directly. One fan on Reddit commented that it’s not even up to par with typical AI performance, suggesting that the technology could have been utilized in more engaging ways, such as making the original Descendants appear instead. On the game’s main subreddit, user iHardlyTriHard argued that using AI-generated clones is disregarding real content creators, many of whom are enrolled in Nexon’s Creator program.

The fan likewise spoke out against Nexon for apparently removing and reposting the questionable ads, suggesting this action aimed to eliminate numerous critical comments all at once. However, it’s still unclear why they took such a step. As reported by YouTuber Moxsy, one widely popular AI influencer ad for The First Descendant was indeed taken down from TikTok following public criticism.

In June 2024, The First Descendant was launched and quickly gained the attention of millions of players. However, a year later, the number of players has noticeably decreased, potentially leading Nexon to explore innovative approaches in their advertising and user acquisition strategies. Despite the initial success, ongoing criticism from the public has led them to reconsider their AI-driven marketing tactics rather than further investing in them. This situation highlights an important issue: overreliance on AI for advertising can damage player trust and deter new players if not executed carefully.

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2025-08-17 18:04