Nexon’s popular anime-inspired RPG Blue Archive marked its 4.5-year anniversary last month. To celebrate the occasion, executive producer Yong-Ha Kim and deputy producer Jun-Ho Lee recently sat down with INVEN to discuss the game’s future amid the evolving gaming landscape—particularly addressing AI, a topic currently stirring significant debate among players.
Kim, who has long expressed concerns about the detrimental effects of low-effort AI “slop” in game development, has further reinforced his stance, stating that “the path Blue Archive is pursuing as a game is in direct opposition to AI.”
Notably, Kim holds a degree in AI and maintains a personal interest in the technology, yet he firmly believes it has no role in the creation of Blue Archive’s assets. “I should clarify that this is my personal view, but I do see [AI] as highly effective for coding and automating development processes as a technical aid. Internally, we’re also exploring and researching the latest AI technologies alongside our work,” he explains. However, regarding Blue Archive specifically, Kim asserts that “AI would introduce far more drawbacks than benefits,” and that it “simply doesn’t align with the game’s direction.”
Given that the illustrations and character designs in Blue Archive are crafted with meticulous, hand-drawn artistry, the producer emphasizes the importance of players being able to “feel the human touch of the creators.” Kim states this is a guiding principle and core value for his development team. “At this point, our focus is on preserving that human touch and maximizing quality in areas where only human expertise can thrive—areas AI cannot replicate.”
It’s worth mentioning that Nexon, the parent company of Blue Archive’s developer IO Division, appears quite enthusiastic about generative AI in game development. Last year, CEO Junghun Lee credited AI technology with a “rise in the average quality of games” and noted that “it’s important to assume every game company is now using AI.” Blue Archive seems to be an outlier for now, and it remains intriguing to see what stance Project RX, IO Division’s upcoming title, will take on AI.
Blue Archive is available on PC (Steam), iOS, and Android.