The First Descendant´s official TikTok account ran a recent ad campaign promoting a new update, a playable character, and a Nier Automata collaboration. Those ads turned out to be generated by Artificial Intelligence, presenting near-identical scripts and a robotic delivery that many viewers found off-putting. More troubling than the tone was the apparent use of generative tools to place recognizable streamers and influencers into the spots. The campaign included clips that resembled known creators, raising immediate questions about consent and the boundaries of promotional content.
One of the most explicit examples involved popular Warframe streamer DanieltheDemon. He posted a TikTok response saying ´I have no affiliation nor contract with The First Descendant. They stole my face/reactions from my most viral video and used AI to change what my mouth says and a voice that isn´t mine. I did not consent for my likeness to be used.´ The game´s visual and thematic similarity to Warframe makes the choice of his likeness unsurprising, but that does not address the legal or ethical concerns. A Reddit compilation of the ads amplified the controversy and prompted many community members to say they will no longer support the game.
Nexon issued a statement on X apologizing for ´certain irregularities´ while stopping short of accepting full responsibility. The company pointed to TikTok creators who took part in a ´Creative Challenge´ and asserted that videos ´are verified through TikTok´s system to check copyright violations before they are approved.´ Nexon also said it is ´conducting a thorough joint investigation with TikTok to determine the facts.´ The response has not satisfied all critics, and the episode highlights unresolved questions about consent, content verification, and the use of Artificial Intelligence in marketing for games and other entertainment products.
