Renowned designer Kazuma Kaneko, formerly of Atlus and now with mobile studio COLOPL, has been engaging with fans on X, sharing exclusive insights into Persona and Megami Tensei lore. In a July 20 update, Kaneko also touched on his upcoming projects.
Kaneko revealed he’s already in the works on a new game and plans to formally launch the project through COLOPL soon. Notably, he stated that this new venture will not incorporate AI-driven mechanics.
Since teaming up with COLOPL, Kaneko has contributed to the live-service roguelike deckbuilder “Tsukuyomi: The Divine Hunter,” which debuted in May 2025, followed by its offline counterpart, “Kazuma Kaneko’s Tsukuyomi,” in April 2026. Some fans were disappointed to learn that both games utilize generative AI, albeit in distinct ways.
The initial title features a system that auto-generates new in-game cards based on player behavior logs, complementing Kaneko’s hand-drawn designs. The AI model for this game was trained exclusively on Kaneko’s artwork through a reinforcement learning process. However, post-launch issues emerged when the model produced designs resembling copyrighted material.
Meanwhile, the offline version omits the dynamic card generation system but retains some AI-generated cards from the original game.
Reflecting on these projects, Kaneko expressed frustration over misinterpretations, clarifying that though he worked on games with AI features, he personally did not employ AI for his artwork. “I did not use AI for my own art,” he emphasized, highlighting the separation between the game’s AI-generated content and his original contributions. Fans concerned about AI in Kaneko’s work can take comfort knowing his next project will steer clear of such technology.