Hooded Horse, the prolific publisher behind beloved strategy titles such as *Manor Lords*, *Endless Legend 2*, and *Terra Invicta*, has taken a definitive stand in the ongoing debate surrounding generative AI in game development. The company has officially banned the integration of AI-generated assets across all its published products, distinguishing itself while many peers are still evaluating or experimenting with the technology.
In a candid discussion with Kotaku, Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender revealed the uncompromising nature of the new policy. He confirmed that the restriction on AI art is now an iron-clad component of their legal agreements, stating that their publishing contracts explicitly forbid the inclusion of AI assets. Bender did not mince words when expressing his exasperation, noting that attempts to manage and vet GenAI usage have only served to complicate the company’s daily operations.
This frustration stems from the difficulty of policing the content pipeline. Bender elaborated that even when developers only intend to use AI-generated items as temporary placeholders, those assets frequently leak into the final build of the game. To counter this pervasive issue, Hooded Horse has extended its guidance, recommending that developers entirely forgo the use of generative AI tools at every stage of the development process, not just for final product art.