Party Animals developer Recreate Games has issued an apology for its recently announced "AI video contest," which encouraged players to submit short films created with generative AI tools. However, the studio has not canceled the contest; instead, it launched a poll asking followers whether to keep, modify, or scrap it.
The contest was first announced on May 13, with the studio stating that ideas previously limited to imagination could now become reality through AI. Submissions were open until August 31, with winners sharing a $75,000 prize pool. The announcement was met with overwhelmingly negative reactions on X, with many replies expressing hostility. This also led to review bombing on Steam.
In a follow-up post, Recreate explained that its original goal was to lower the barrier to creation, noting that past contests saw players with great ideas hindered by a lack of familiarity with editing, modeling, or animation software. The studio claimed AI could serve as a more accessible tool. However, it acknowledged concerns about AI content, stating it does not intend to dismiss handmade work or disrespect creators, and views AI as just another tool for ideas and expression.
Instead of canceling or changing the contest, Recreate posted a poll with three options: cancel the AI video contest, change it to a non-AI contest, or keep it as is but add a separate handmade category. This move worsened the backlash. Critics argued that people without video creation skills should not expect to win a video creation contest, while others suggested that if the studio truly wanted to lower barriers, it should provide models, textures, assets, and tutorials for free.
Many also criticized the statement that "AI is just another tool," alleging it implied the studio is already using AI internally, a claim it had faced before. The response to the poll, with over 5,700 votes so far, shows 58% want the contest canceled outright, 35% prefer a non-AI contest, and only 8% support keeping the AI contest. The poll is set to continue for a few more days.